An impressive 2026 Formula 1 campaign has brought Liam Lawson back into the spotlight on track, but his performances appear to be receiving surprisingly little recognition within Red Bull. The New Zealander has accumulated 75 points across Racing Bulls and Red Bull this season, demonstrating considerable progress after the disappointment of his brief spell with the senior team in 2025.
Yet an uncomfortable silence seems to surround his achievements at Milton Keynes. While other drivers within the Red Bull organisation receive considerable attention for their progress, Liam Lawson’s results risk being overlooked, perhaps because of the turbulent circumstances that shaped his earlier career with the team.
Liam Lawson’s difficult journey through the Red Bull system
Liam Lawson’s Formula 1 career began in 2023, when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri. The New Zealander contested five Grands Prix and secured two points at the Singapore Grand Prix, offering an early indication of his potential at the highest level of motorsport.
Another opportunity arrived in 2024, when Liam Lawson was once again called upon to replace Daniel Ricciardo, beginning with the United States Grand Prix in Austin. He completed the season with four points, continuing to build his experience within the Red Bull driver programme.
His biggest opportunity came in 2025, when Red Bull promoted him to its senior Formula 1 team. However, the move proved remarkably short-lived. Liam Lawson contested only the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix before the team’s management decided that his performances were not meeting expectations.
After just two races, Red Bull replaced him with Yuki Tsunoda. Demonstrating a driver’s full potential in such a limited period is an extremely difficult challenge, particularly when adapting to a new car and the demands of competing for one of Formula 1’s leading teams.
Liam Lawson’s 2026 F1 results tell a different story
The 2026 season has offered Liam Lawson an opportunity to rebuild his reputation. Returning to Racing Bulls, he has partnered Arvid Lindblad, one of the most highly regarded emerging talents within the Red Bull organisation.
Arvid Lindblad has made an impressive start to his Formula 1 career. The rookie finished eighth on his debut, earning the appreciation of the technical personnel at Faenza and Red Bull. His performances have continued to attract attention, with 38 points representing a considerable achievement in his first season.
However, Liam Lawson’s results deserve equally serious consideration. Driving the VCARB-03, the New Zealander has accumulated 61 points for Racing Bulls, substantially exceeding his younger team-mate’s total.
His contribution extends beyond those performances. Liam Lawson also returned to the senior Red Bull team for three Grands Prix as a replacement for the injured Isack Hadjar, competing in the Netherlands, Italy and Madrid.
Despite the difficulty of switching cars during an ongoing championship, Liam Lawson collected another 14 points across those appearances. His only race without a points finish during that temporary Red Bull assignment came at Monza, where a power unit replacement forced him to start from the back of the grid.
Combined, his 61 points with Racing Bulls and 14 with Red Bull bring his 2026 total to 75. That tally illustrates the progress he has made since his difficult experience with the senior team the previous year.
Monaco and Silverstone underline Lawson’s progress
Even without considering his appearances for Red Bull, Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls campaign contains several notable results. A fifth-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix and sixth place at Silverstone stand out as particularly strong performances in the VCARB-03.
Those results demonstrate the development of a driver who has responded positively to a major setback in his Formula 1 career. Rather than allowing his early demotion to define his prospects, Liam Lawson has continued to improve and deliver competitive performances.
The 2026 championship increasingly resembles a season of redemption for the New Zealander. His ability to score consistently, achieve strong individual results and adapt to different machinery has strengthened the case for recognising his contribution within the wider Red Bull programme.
Why Red Bull’s silence over Liam Lawson raises questions
Despite those achievements, the attention surrounding Liam Lawson remains limited compared with that directed towards other drivers in the Red Bull organisation.
Arvid Lindblad’s encouraging rookie campaign has understandably generated considerable interest, while Isack Hadjar’s performances during his first season with the senior Red Bull team have also received recognition. Both drivers have produced results worthy of attention.
However, Liam Lawson’s own achievements appear to have attracted considerably less discussion, even though his points tally and individual performances suggest that he is enjoying one of the strongest periods of his Formula 1 career.
That contrast raises a broader question about how driver performances are evaluated within the Red Bull system. Results appear to carry different weight depending on the driver involved, with previous setbacks potentially continuing to influence perceptions even after substantial improvement.
For Liam Lawson, the concern is that his 2026 progress could become another overlooked chapter in a career already shaped by difficult decisions at Milton Keynes. Unless attitudes change or the team reassesses his position, the New Zealander risks experiencing the same disappointment that has affected other drivers within the Red Bull organisation.
His performances this season nevertheless offer a compelling argument in his favour. With 75 points across two teams, strong finishes at Monaco and Silverstone, and an effective response to his earlier demotion, Liam Lawson has demonstrated that his Formula 1 story deserves to be judged on more than two difficult races in 2025.
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