Liam Lawson Breaks Silence on Potential Red Bull Move as Contract Clock Ticks
Liam Lawson has opened up about a potential move to Red Bull Racing in the future, as his current contract expires after the 2025 season. Lawson earned a promotion to Red Bull before the season commenced but was demoted after the first two race weekends.
The Kiwi driver raced for Red Bull's junior F1 team, Racing Bulls (then VCARB), last year alongside Yuki Tsunoda. His ability to perform under pressure impressed the team, leading to his promotion to the seat alongside Max Verstappen.
However, the opening round in Australia saw him crash the RB21 F1 car, while the season's second race in China saw him finish outside the points in P12. Racing for Red Bull was a dream come true for Lawson, but his performances disappointed the team, leading to a swap with Tsunoda ahead of the race in Japan. But like Lawson, Tsunoda has been facing challenges in adapting to the RB21, and his contract is also set to expire at the end of this year.
Lawson has shown signs of improvement at Racing Bulls following his demotion, securing points in four races. His best finish so far was in Austria, where he secured a sixth-place finish. He currently sits fifteenth in the Drivers' Standings with a tally of 20 points, double the tally of 10 points held by Tsunoda in eighteenth place.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls looks on during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 03, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls looks on during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 03, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.Given the fact that Tsunoda, Lawson, and Lawson's teammate Isack Hadjar's contracts expire at the end of this year, Lawson was asked by the media about the chances of his return to Red Bull. He said:
"Honestly, in terms of my future, it's been so busy this year that I'm not really thinking about it. I'm focused on having some good races."
Lawson added that he was looking forward to scoring more points in the remaining ten races of the season. He said:
"Obviously, we've had some recently, but three of them isn't enough over 12 races, or however many it's been, so we need to do more of this, and then we'll see."
Speaking of Red Bull, Tsunoda highlighted that he hadn't witnessed any other driver adapt to the team's title challenger, which is reportedly designed around Verstappen. However, the Japanese driver is optimistic about overcoming the challenge. He said:
"I didn't see yet so far the driver who probably got used to it in that car straight away. So that's probably the fact. But at the same time, I feel I'm in the right direction, at least on the short runs.
"Also in terms of the whole package, I know there's something to come as well into this year compared to Max. So once I get the full package, I still have good confidence that I can be in a level that they want. That's what I'm working hard on.
"In terms of the long run is exactly the place that I'm still probably struggling at, but I'll find a way. I saw a couple of driving styles that I can try that I never tried in my career in Formula 1. It's just the learning stuff."
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