Liam Lawson has been backed by F1 fans to complete a sensational return to Red Bull - if Max Verstappen leaves the team.
New Zealander Lawson was promoted from Racing Bulls into the senior team as Verstappen's team-mate for the start of the 2025 season, but was brutally axed after just two races and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda as he went back to the junior team.
Lawson's axe came after the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, having never driven on either circuit in his career, with the Melbourne weekend being disrupted by an engine issue in practice and the treacherous conditions during the grand prix, whilst in Shanghai, in a difficult RB21 car on a Sprint weekend, Lawson struggled for pace.
Since then, he has enjoyed strong form at Racing Bulls, including a career-high third on the grid in Azerbaijan in 2025, which he translated into a best finish of fifth.
Given the uncertainty around Verstappen's long-term future at Red Bull given his dislike of the current rules, and the looming exit of his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to McLaren, RacingNews365 asked its readers what Red Bull should do if Verstappen leaves.
According to the results of the poll, a return to Red Bull for Lawson was the most popular verdict, with 31.57% of people voting for this, just ahead of 28.94% who felt the team should consider an external appointment.
It should be pointed out that Lawson did receive the most votes from readers, but did not gain an outright majority of votes cast.
Should Red Bull use its own talent to replace Max Verstappen if he leaves?
| Option | Result |
|---|---|
| Yes - Liam Lawson should replace Verstappen | 31.57% |
| No - Red Bull should sign someone outside of its programme | 28.94% |
| Yes - Arvid Lindblad should replace Verstappen | 18.42% |
| Yes - Yuki Tsunoda should replace Verstappen | 14.47% |
| Yes - Nikola Tsolov should replace Verstappen | 3.94% |
| Yes - Ayumu Iwasa should replace Verstappen | 2.63% |
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