Lawson has been handed his greatest career test by Red Bull

Liam Lawson’s long-awaited return to the cockpit of an F1 car will be realised this weekend when he steps back into the seat at RB at the United States Grand Prix.

For the second time in his short F1 career, the New Zealander has replaced Daniel Ricciardo - but unlike the previous occasion presented through driver injury, Lawson’s second call-up is a direct change based on performance.

The 22-year-old has had to wait on the sidelines for most of the campaign while being publicly promised by team advisor Helmut Marko of a full-time drive for 2025.

But his early arrival onto the grid signals Red Bull has a wider target in mind than a simple seat filler at its junior team.

Lawson's immediate F1 impact

Lawson was an instant hit when he made his F1 debut at Zandvoort last year. In treacherous conditions, he navigated a strong weekend after being allocated just one practice session to get up to speed.

He continued to impress across the following rounds and even scored points at Singapore which was earmarked as arguably the most challenging weekend he would face due to the mental and physical strength required.

Red Bull ultimately opted to sideline him for the current campaign in favour of the Yuki Tsunoda-Ricciardo line-up at its sister team - but Lawson's mighty impact left him destined for a return.

Despite 12 months away from the competitive F1 environment and simply peering in from the sidelines while conducting simulator and test work, Lawson will have few excuses when he steps into the race seat this weekend in Austin, Texas.

The immediate strong impression he made last year will be expected to be replicated, even exceeded.

As a result of the five rounds he has under his belt and the strong way he conducted himself last year, Lawson will no longer be viewed as a traditional rookie and will be scrutinised just as intensely as his predecessor before him.

The Red Bull factor

An easy assessment behind Red Bull's decision to immediately alter the line-up of its sister team is to offer RB a boost in the constructors’ championship, with Haas breathing down its neck for sixth place in the standings.

However, Sergio Perez’s drop-off in form at Red Bull, which has been a consistent trait of the Mexican in recent years, has opened up the possibility of a replacement being fitted in alongside Max Verstappen next season.

Perez was retained for next season - and with an option for 2026 - before his performances trickled away from the form Red Bull needs to fight for the constructors' championship, sparking suggestions he could be ousted at the end of the year.

Red Bull did not see Ricciardo as a viable option and has now turned to its juniors in Tsunoda and Lawson as potential candidates.

The duo can be considered part of an audition for the front-running seat at Red Bull, should the senior team opt to make the change ahead of the sport's new era under fresh technical regulations in 2026.

It would mark a considerable leap for Lawson to be granted a drive at a championship-winning calibre outfit just months after not racing on the grid at all.

But if Red Bull is looking to make the change and Lawson holds his own against Tsunoda - as he did during their five races together last year - he will quickly become a realistic candidate for another promotion.

Lawson has little time to make an impression

Lawson has so far avoided the ruthless axe that is so often prevalent in the Red Bull junior programme.

Many young drivers have lost the backing of Red Bull during their careers, but Lawson’s impact has seen him rise to F1 and even come under consideration for a front-running drive.

It is a situation that very, very few Red Bull-backed drivers eventually find themselves in.

But despite being in a luxurious position now, it can change in an instant for Lawson, with talents such as Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad on the verge of being ready for an F1 promotion.

F1’s current trend of looking to young drivers - take Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman as examples - has been recognised by Red Bull and could have been an added factor in its decision to drop Ricciardo for Lawson.

The next generation of Red Bull graduates are patiently waiting to have their opportunity to impress, as was Lawson up until very recently.

If Lawson does not do enough to showcase he is ready and worthy of a Red Bull drive, he could quickly be shuffled out the door by the next big name looking to make their name in the sport.