Red Bull shine light on 'very different picture' of Liam Lawson

Laurent Mekies has declared that Liam Lawson's recent run of three races back at Red Bull has presented "a very different picture" from the driver's brief and turbulent spell at the team last year.

Racing Bulls driver Lawson was asked to step back into the senior Red Bull seat as cover for Isack Hadjar after the Frenchman suffered a wrist injury over the summer break.

The 24-year-old New Zealander initially finished seventh in the Netherlands, followed by P14 in Italy after contact with Audi's Nico Hülkenberg damaged his front wing, before delivering a sixth-place finish in Spain last time out.

That form stands in sharp contrast to the two races Lawson endured as Max Verstappen's team-mate at the start last year, leading to him being demoted back to Racing Bulls in favour of Yuki Tsunoda.

Speaking after the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, Mekies gave Lawson credit for adapting quickly to unfamiliar machinery.

"He's done a very good job," said Mekies, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365.

"We all know how difficult it is to jump to a different team, to a different car, and I think he has done that to the best of our expectations."

Referencing the "very important points" collected by Lawson in Madrid and Zandvoort, he added: "It's a very different picture compared to the first two races of 2025 when he was in the team, so we are thankful and happy with that."

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Lawson 'very, very strong'

Asked about Lawson's growth as a driver, Mekies pointed to a calmer, more focused approach behind the wheel.

"He has continued to grow as a driver," he said. "He's very calm in the car, he's very focused.

"I don't know if he's making an effort or not, but he's certainly managed to keep things simple in the way he tracks with the team and in the way he tackles his own performance and the car performance.

"So he's focused on the essentials, trying to get the basics right, and it's working for him.

"Of course, with more time in the car, you can then get to another degree of finesse, maybe. But up to this point, he's been very, very strong."

As to whether Lawson gets another outing in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next weekend remains to be seen, as Hadjar has been making progress from his injury.

It is understood a decision will be made following a rigorous evaluation process early next week.