Liam Lawson Photo: photosport
Liam Lawson believes his early-season demotion at Red Bull has made him a better Formula One driver, although he's adamant he would have made it work in the top team.
The New Zealand driver was in a reflective mood when he faced media ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of what has been a turbulent first full season.
Lawson revealed he was feeling relaxed for the first time all year going into a race weekend, having finally learned he had retained his seat at Racing Bulls for next season.
The 23-year-old conceded his over-riding emotion was relief at the tail end of a season which began with his sudden demotion from Red Bull's team, having started out as a team-mate of four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Liam Lawson of Red Bull Racing. 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Lawson conceded the change - when he swapped places with Japan's Yuki Tsunoda after just two races - left him perplexed.
"I would have liked to have thought that with the right amount of time, I would have got my head around it," Lawson said of the challenges of driving the Red Bull car.
"Because for, me, two races, I honestly don't even remember them, they were so short.
"I think doing a first full season - you go in with a goal of how you think the year will go. Obviously this year went a different way than what I thought and I've definitely learned to roll with that. Going into next year, I'll be in a much better position because of it."
Lawson revealed he found out the good news soon after Monday's (NZT) Qatar Grand Prix, in a conversation with Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane.
Permane revealed to the official F1 website that Lawson was the fourth and final driver confirmed in the overall Red Bull stable, with Isack Hadjer promoted to join Max Verstappen as Red Bull drivers while it was long-planned that Arvid Lindblad would be promoted from their junior programme.
British driver Arvid Lindblad, competing in New Zealand in 2025. Photo: Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz
"Liam is talented, he's very talented, and my mission will be to get him to operate at the level he can operate at when things are all working for him," Permane said.
"In some of the most difficult situations we've had this year such as Vegas Qualifying or Baku Qualifying, he's excelled - and he's having some really strong races. I know he's capable of that and he knows he's capable of that and I just want to work with him to get him at that level every single time he goes in the car."
Permane said if Lawson can "operate at his best level more consistently, he will be a very good Formula One driver".
Permane believed Lawson's experience could help Lindblad settle in.
"It's something I've spoken to Liam about. I don't expect him to be a mentor for Arvid, far from it, but I do expect him to be there.
"OK he has only got a season and a half under his belt, but he has a lot more than Arvid has.
"He should be able to - and I would expect him to - help Arvid out when things are tough for him, especially early on and during testing."
Tsunoda has no regrets
Meanwhile, Tsunoda said he was "disappointed" but "okay" about his demotion to a test and reserve role in 2026.
Yuki Tsunoda Photo: photosport
"The day after I ordered breakfast as usual, same food, yeah, probably I'm not recognising enough that it will be the last race at least for next year," Tsunoda told reporters at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit ahead of the season-ending race.
"Maybe I'll feel more after Abu Dhabi but that's how it went and how I feel now."
Honda, which also supplies power units to Racing Bulls, is leaving the Red Bull fold to team up with Aston Martin next season.
Tsunoda said if he had any regrets they were centred on not being able to make the most of the Racing Bulls car, which he has helped develop and is seen as far more forgiving than the Red Bull.
"But at the same time I don't regret much that decision" added the 25-year-old of his move to the senior Red Bull team.
Tsunoda is not the first teammate to be eclipsed by Verstappen, with the second Red Bull seat acquiring a reputation for being a 'poisoned chalice'.
Hadjar, who has enjoyed an impressive rookie season, will be the Dutchman's fourth different teammate since the last race of 2024.
But he said he was not worried about meeting the same fate as his predecessors, especially with cars set to change to meet next year's radical rule changes.
"We're going to get the car we have, I have to adapt to that car, and Max will have to do the same job," said Hadjar, whose seat at Racing Bulls will be taken by rookie Arvid Lindblad.
"I've never repeated every year. I've always competed in different carsGǪ So I think I'm pretty decent at adapting, so I'm actually confident."
- Reuters, with additional reporting by RNZ
