Pilot Red Bull fanoui Liam Lawson admits that he was “shocked” by the decision to demo him with their sister team after only two races of the 2025 season.
The New Zealander only made the racing bulls to replace Sergio Perez after the conclusion of last season.
This movement itself drew considerable attention, especially because the holding based in Milton Keynes had given Mexican a new contract a few months in advance.
But now Lawson will change seats with Yuki Tsunoda, who dodges for the partner Max Verstappen, before the Japanese Grand Prix of this weekend.
“It was definitely a shock, honestly. This is not something I saw coming ” told Sky Sports.
“The discussions that we also had, I think, were not really leaning in this direction, so it was certainly not something that I expected in a way.
Liam Lawson was brutally chopped by Red Bull last week after presenting only two races in 2025
Christian Horner (in the photo of advisor Red Bull Helmut Marko) admitted that the team had “asked too early” too early ”
Lawson said he was “shocked” by the decision he added
“Obviously, I would have liked more time.
“I think that going to places that I had never been before with the way the car was quite delicate. I think that (time) would have helped and I would have loved this opportunity. But obviously, this is not my decision, so I’m here to get the most out of it.
Red Bull’s boss, Christian Horner, admitted that he had not made the decision to downshift the light Lawson, but said that the first signs were that the team had asked too early, too early from the young Kiwi.
He said: “ Of course, it is horrible because you remove someone’s dreams and aspirations, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be nice, and I think that in this case, it is not the end of Liam.
“I was very clear with him, it is that it is a sample of two races. I think we asked too much too early.
“We have to accept, I think we ask for it too much too early. And it is therefore for him to feed this talent that we know that he has, in the headquarters of the Bulls of Race, while giving Yuki the opportunity and seeking to use the experience he has.
VERTAPEN, on the other hand, was “surprised” by the speed with which Red Bull made the decision, said Horner.
“But he could also see how Liam was struggling,” added Red Bull’s boss.
Lawson’s girlfriend Hannah St John also went to social networks to support him after her dismissal
Lawson should now come back to drive racing bulls at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend
He was not the only person in the team to have noticed the difficulties of driver Kiwi this season, Horner saying that some of the engineering team had become “concerned” by the way Lawson kept the pressure.
“It was something that was very clear for the team engineer side, how much Liam had trouble with all this, and you could see this weight on his shoulders,” he added.
“Engineers are very concerned with me.
“In the end, I think it was the logical thing to do.”