Liam Lawson's "true talent" has been hailed following his revelatory form this season in F1, belying the difficulties he endured over the course of last year.
Lawson's path to a settled Formula 1 career has been anything but straightforward, yet the New Zealander is now delivering the kind of performances that have caught the eye.
Former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 co-commentator Martin Brundle has praised Lawson's ability to find his feet after a chaotic period within the Red Bull programme.
In 2023, Lawson filled in for Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri for five races after the Australian broke a finger in practice for the Dutch Grand Prix. The following year, Lawson replaced the axed Ricciardo for the final six GPs.
Remarkably, the 24-year-old was promoted to Red Bull for the start of the 2025 campaign, but was jettisoned after just two races and demoted back to its 'sister' team, renamed as Racing Bulls.
Following a difficult campaign, the team waited until late in the year before confirming it was retaining Lawson for this season.
Since then, Lawson has repaid the faith. He sits 10th in the drivers' championship on 39 points after 10 rounds, having scored in five consecutive grands prix before missing out on points at Spa-Francorchamps.
His consistency has been the backbone of Racing Bulls' campaign, as he has contributed the majority of the team's 61 points.
Reflecting on what Lawson has achieved so far this season, Brundle said: "It's really hard to come into Formula 1.
"You're all potential on the way up, and then as soon as you get here, you're all delivery, and you get judged so incredibly quickly in this business, unfairly in many respects.
"Liam got bounced around the Red Bull cockpits a bit, but now he's managed to settle down and find his way in what is a hugely complex car, and race, and with all of the management of the tyres and the strategies and what have you.
"Now, his true talent can come and shine."
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