Liam Lawson has changed the way he thinks about his Formula 1 future. After once viewing a place at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen as the ultimate destination, the New Zealander now says his goal is simply to reach the front and win in Formula 1, regardless of which team eventually gives him that opportunity.
Lawson is arguably receiving less attention than his performances deserve this season. Behind the eight drivers representing Formula 1’s four leading teams, the first name in the Drivers’ Championship standings is his. In other words, Liam Lawson is currently leading the rest of the field, achieving about as much as a driver outside a top team can realistically target and scoring almost twice as many points as rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad, whose debut campaign has attracted considerable praise.
Liam Lawson rebuilds after painful Red Bull demotion
The problem for Liam Lawson is that his reputation still carries the consequences of decisions made by Red Bull’s previous management. He was promoted to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen for the start of the 2025 season, only to be demoted back to Racing Bulls after just two Grands Prix.
Much like Alex Albon several years earlier, that rapid demotion inevitably cast a shadow over Lawson’s talent and potentially damaged the wider perception of the New Zealander.
It was the kind of setback that could have broken a young driver’s confidence. Lawson responded differently. Back in the more welcoming environment at Faenza, he focused on rebuilding his career and gradually began working his way back up.
Isack Hadjar deservedly finished ahead of Lawson in 2025, although the New Zealander also had to adapt to a different car while suffering five retirements compared with just one for his team-mate. Hadjar subsequently earned his own promotion to Red Bull, where his progress alongside Max Verstappen has become another important storyline within the organisation.
Why 2026 has been different for Liam Lawson
The current campaign is also the first in which Liam Lawson has been able to complete proper preparation for a full Formula 1 season with the team he is actually racing for.
His first opportunities came as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo for several races in 2023 and again in 2024. That was followed by his promotion to Red Bull and almost immediate return to Racing Bulls at the beginning of 2025, leaving little opportunity for stability.
In a recent interview with PlanetF1.com, Liam Lawson explained just how important that stability has been.
“Having a pre-season, starting with knowing where things are at with a team and knowing the direction that we’re going, what we’re developing, that makes a big difference,” Liam Lawson said. “I’ve had that this year, obviously with VCARB, and I hadn’t had that in the past, so having that consistency, that familiarity with the team has been very helpful.”
Liam Lawson no longer sees Red Bull as his only F1 goal
Lawson also appears noticeably more relaxed than in the past, and his experience over the previous two seasons has produced a major change in mentality.
“I think my mindset used to be, obviously, very specific: coming into Red Bull and trying to get to the top team,” Liam Lawson explained. “When I came into F1, and when I was young, that was really where my head was at, or what I thought about.”
That ambition has now become much broader.
“But I think now, honestly, it’s not specific. Like everybody else, I’m working towards being at the front and winning in Formula 1, and where that is, I have no idea. And I’m not too fussed about it, but that’s what I’m working towards.”
The difficult events of 2025 no longer dominate his thinking either. Rather than focusing on how his short Red Bull spell affected his reputation, Lawson believes the experience ultimately strengthened him.
“In terms of stuff that’s happened in the past and last year, it’s not really something that I think about now,” Liam Lawson said. “I had a tough season. But I learned a huge amount through it, and honestly, I’ve come out of that as a much stronger driver and person.”
Alan Permane earns praise from Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson also reserved significant praise for Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane, who took over the Faenza-based operation after Laurent Mekies moved to Red Bull to replace Christian Horner.
Permane’s engineering background has created a working relationship that Lawson particularly appreciates because it allows their conversations to extend deep into the technical and performance aspects of the car.
“I think he’s been really good, honestly,” Liam Lawson said. “The thing with Alan is he comes from an engineering background, so my first introduction and relationship with him was on an engineering side, so we talked about cars and performance and stuff like that.”
Lawson believes that technical understanding gives Permane a different perspective from a more conventional team principal.
“It’s good because it means that I still have these conversations with him, really deep, about the car and about performance things that are on the car and that are on the weekend, even driving stuff as well, that we talk about. He has a different eye than a normal team principal probably does, because he has a different background. So that’s something that’s been enjoyable; it’s made it effective as a team principal.”
Lawson faces the challenge of staying on top of the midfield
The first 11 races of 2026 have shown a remarkably consistent and resilient Liam Lawson. His Red Bull setback has not disappeared from his career story, but it no longer appears to define either his performances or his ambitions.
The next test will come during the second half of the season. Lawson must now prove that he can maintain his position as the leading driver in Formula 1’s tightly contested midfield, where opportunities are scarce and competition is often particularly fierce.
Most importantly, his objective has changed. Returning to Red Bull is no longer the only measure of success. Liam Lawson still wants exactly what he wanted when his Formula 1 journey began — to reach the front and win — but he is now far less concerned about which team might ultimately take him there.
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