The 23-year-old New Zealand-born Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has broken his silence in a revealing and emotionally charged interview published by F1.com. Liam Lawson expressed his frustration and disappointment, directly criticising Red Bull Racing and indirectly addressing the performances of his former teammate, Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda.
Liam Lawson started the 2025 Formula 1 season with immense expectations placed on his shoulders, stepping in as a temporary replacement for Sergio Perez alongside triple World Champion Max Verstappen at the Red Bull Racing team. However, after just two races—at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai—where he failed to score a single championship point, Lawson was told to return to the Racing Bulls team. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda was promoted in his place to the senior Red Bull squad.
Lawson: “There Were False Claims Made About Me”
That abrupt decision marked a turning point in Liam Lawson’s 2025 campaign. He explained that various rumours and inaccurate claims started circulating about his mental state and performance. Speaking candidly, he said: “There are things that need to be cleared up. A lot has been speculated about my confidence, but nothing changed for me after Red Bull’s decision or after the Japan race. Completely false statements have been made about me.”
Lawson pointed to the role of the media in spreading such narratives but quickly shifted focus to the sporting side. “I had only two races, both on tracks where I had never competed before. That’s simply not enough to build any real confidence in the car. Maybe if I had spent six months with the team and still performed like that, I would understand the criticism. But under those circumstances, I was just trying to learn as much as I could. My approach was the same as when I first entered Formula 1.”
He further revealed the obstacles he faced during the pre-season and early races: “I thought the most important thing was to take things slowly and build up gradually. But I wasn’t given that time. I didn’t get proper testing opportunities during the off-season. Even in Melbourne, we encountered issues. The team didn’t give me the time I needed,” Lawson concluded, clearly directing criticism at the Red Bull Racing management.
Monaco and Austria Bring a Turnaround, but Consistency is Key
Things have improved significantly for Liam Lawson in recent races. Over the last five Grands Prix, the young driver has scored his first points in the 2025 season. He finished eighth at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix and sixth at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. Thanks to these strong performances, Lawson has now overtaken his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the championship standings, holding 12 points to the Japanese driver’s 10.
Lawson described his current driving sensations as excellent, which is helping him face the second half of the season with a more optimistic attitude. “In the last few races, the car has been very competitive, and I’ve probably reached a performance level that I had never achieved before. I’ve scored multiple points. Austria was a fantastic race for me, but it’s still not enough. We need to replicate this level of performance more consistently. That’s the hardest part in Formula 1—being consistent.”
The New Zealander insisted that his recent progress hasn’t come from a single breakthrough, but rather from gradual development and understanding of the car. “There was no dramatic turning point—just slow and steady improvement. We’ve been to several circuits where things worked well. In Monaco, we were strong right from the free practice sessions. Same story in Barcelona. In Canada, we showed great pace. But then, in qualifying, small details make a big difference. The raw speed is there, but the results have not come as regularly as we’d like. In Austria, we finally converted that into good points. Hopefully, it’s proof that we can now consistently deliver what we’ve been building toward,” Lawson concluded in his interview with F1.com.
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