Liam Lawson’s rather turbulent start to 2025 has slowly given way to a more promising outlook, as the Kiwi driver regains momentum with Racing Bulls after a short-lived spell at Oracle Red Bull Racing.
The 23-year-old became the first New Zealander since Brendon Hartley in 2017 to earn a full-time F1 seat when Red Bull promoted him over the winter. But after only two grands prix, the team reversed course, reinstating Yuki Tsunoda alongside Max Verstappen and sending Lawson back to its sister outfit.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko insisted at the time it wasn’t a demotion, describing Racing Bulls as a car “much easier to handle than the RB21” and stressing that Lawson still had “a future in his career.”
The switch wasn’t painless. Early struggles meant Lawson failed to reach Q3 or score points in his opening five races back at Racing Bulls, while rookie teammate Isack Hadjar impressed immediately with top-10 finishes in Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Speculation about Lawson’s long-term future intensified, particularly with rising F2 star Arvid Lindblad waiting in the wings.
But from Monaco onwards, Lawson began to find his feet. Racing Bulls’ summer upgrade package, including new front suspension, gave him confidence in the car and helped unlock results.
He secured points in Austria, Belgium, and Hungary, even finishing ahead of Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix by executing a bold one-stop strategy.
Newly appointed Team Principal Alan Permane praised the turnaround: “He’s worked really, really hard. We had a bit of a breakthrough in Austria… Monaco was decent, but after Austria, he had a spring back in his step.”
Lawson himself has downplayed talk of confidence swings.
“To be honest, nothing huge has changed, other than some small things in the car… the speed’s always been there since the start,” he said.
Still, his body language tells its own story. Where he appeared subdued during his Red Bull stint, he now carries more composure, a shift that has coincided with Tsunoda’s own struggles.
The Japanese driver has scored points just twice since the swap, and Lawson has often had the edge in qualifying despite running what is theoretically the slower car.
Beyond on-track battles, Lawson is conscious of the role he plays as New Zealand’s only F1 representative.
“I feel very privileged to be able to do this from New Zealand. I know how rare it is,” he told RacingNews365.
“Each time I go home, it is very cool to see everybody, and I definitely feel that support when I’m racing.”
He added that the pressure is easier to handle with a small but trusted support circle: “The number of people I trust and talk to has actually got smaller… my family, my close friends, that will never change.”
Halfway through the season, Lawson has 20 points to Hadjar’s 22, helping Racing Bulls sit eighth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Both drivers’ standout performances, Hadjar’s sixth in Monaco and Lawson’s own sixth in Austria, underline the car’s potential, though missed opportunities and a costly double-DNF at Silverstone have kept the team from climbing higher.
Permane, who recently stepped into the team boss role after Laurent Mekies’ move to Red Bull, sees progress.
“I just want to make sure we’re getting the best out of the cars the designers and the production team have given us… if we can do that, then we’ll have a good last half of the season,” he said.
What Lawson’s revival means for his future remains uncertain. Red Bull rarely offers second chances, as Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon both found, but the team is still searching for a consistent second driver.
For now, Lawson insists he is focused only on maximising what he can control.
“It’s been so busy this year that I’m not really thinking about it,” he said.
“I’m focused on having some good races… three of them isn’t enough over 12 races, so we need to do more of this, and then we’ll see.”
As Formula 1 heads into its decisive stretch, Lawson has at least stopped the slide. Whether it proves enough to rebuild his Red Bull prospects or simply cements him as a mainstay at Racing Bulls, the second half of the season will be pivotal for Lawson.
Header Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
