Liam Lawson's quiet redemption after brutal Red Bull axe

Liam Lawson has been on a quiet road to redemption in recent rounds, following his brutal axing by Red Bull after just two races this season.

How do you recover from being fired after only two races?

That was the question facing Lawson when the axe fell on his Red Bull dream. His promotion to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen ended in a brutal, premature demotion back to the Racing Bulls squad following the Chinese Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda was swiftly promoted in his place, with the entire situation shocking the Formula 1 paddock.

Many believed Lawson would be the driver to finally master the second Red Bull seat — especially after his 11 impressive performances for the sister team across 2023 and 2024.

However, Lawson looked a shadow of his former self alongside Verstappen. He crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, then finished 12th in China.

Red Bull's senior figures had already seen enough and made the staggering decision to switch Lawson and Tsunoda.

Commenting on the decision, then-Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: "We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well."

Lawson's recovery

A return to Racing Bulls moved the New Zealander out of the intense spotlight that comes with being Max Verstappen’s teammate, allowing his reputation to be quietly rebuilt.

Lawson initially struggled back in the Faenza-based outfit and was regularly outshone by fellow full-time rookie Isack Hadjar on the other side of the garage.

However, his pace has improved since Formula 1 entered the European leg of the season, with points scored in four of the last seven Grands Prix.

He reached the final stage of qualifying on each of those occasions, and the performance gap between him and Hadjar has significantly narrowed — highlighted by Lawson finishing sixth in Austria.

Hadjar has scored just two points more than Lawson with 10 rounds remaining, marking a major step forward for Hastings-born driver.

Lawson’s improvement has increased the pressure on Hadjar, resulting in mixed performances from the French-Algerian.

After months of struggles, Lawson is finally showcasing the ability that earned him a Red Bull promotion in the first place, as Sergio Perez’s replacement. Despite this progress, he remains aware of how quickly things can change.

"It’s very easy to get ahead of yourself in the sport, and I think that we've had a really good couple of weekends and the speed has been very good," Lawson exclusively told RacingNews365.

"But things change very, very quickly. So I think the approach for me stays the same as it has been for most of the season.

"It’s very, very close and competitive. For me, it's just extracting everything out of me, but I feel comfortable in the car."

The dream of a Red Bull future may be over, for now. But in the relentless F1 midfield, the 23-year-old is proving that while the axe may have fallen, it did not cut deep enough to stop a driver who is once again showing his true worth.