Liam Lawson is seizing a second chance with Red Bull at the Dutch Grand Prix, stepping in as a short-term replacement for the injured Isack Hadjar. For the 24-year-old New Zealander, the call-up is more than just a fill-in gig—it’s a reward for his resilience after a challenging start to his Red Bull career.
Lawson’s Formula 1 journey has been anything but straightforward. He first deputised for Daniel Ricciardo at Zandvoort in 2023, and after a promising five-race stint with AlphaTauri, earned a full-time shot with Red Bull in 2025. However, after just two difficult weekends, he was swapped back to the Racing Bulls team, replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.
Rather than let the setback define him, Lawson worked tirelessly to rebuild his confidence and reputation at Racing Bulls, where he’s helped the team climb to sixth in the constructors’ standings. “I would have liked to have thought that with the right amount of time, I would have got my head around it honestly,” Lawson reflected. “Two races was… I honestly don’t even really remember them. But a lot of things have happened this year that have made me a lot stronger.”
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane praised Lawson’s transformation: “He worked hard in the simulator, he worked hard off track and on track, and I think we saw that culminating with some really, really good performances. He’s laser-focused… he knows what he wants from the car, he’s able to drive it in a way to get the best out of the car.”
With Red Bull’s leadership now changed—Christian Horner and Helmut Marko both gone—Lawson returns to the big team in a new context. Even though he’s expected to return to Racing Bulls once Hadjar recovers, the pressure is lessened, and the opportunity is significant. With junior talents like Nikola Tsolov waiting in the wings, every race is a chance for Lawson to prove he belongs at the top.
Whether this second Red Bull stint is brief or becomes a turning point, it’s a testament to Lawson’s perseverance and a chance to complete a character-building chapter in his F1 career.
