Liam Lawson opens up about 'shock' regarding Red Bull exit 

Liam Lawson has openly discussed his unexpected demotion from Red Bull Racing, describing the decision as a “shock” after being replaced just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season.

The 23-year-old was initially brought in as a potential long-term solution following Sergio Perez's dramatic exit at the end of the 2024 season. However, after just two races, Lawson was rotated out in favor of Yuki Tsunoda, who will make his senior Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.

"It was definitely a shock, honestly. It's not something that I saw coming,” Lawson admitted in a recent interview with Sky Sports. "The discussions we were having as well, I think, weren't really leaning in this direction, so it was definitely not something that I sort of expected."

Although his time in the car was limited, Lawson's performances in Australia and China were underwhelming. He failed to score points or progress past Q1. This decision has raised questions within the F1 community about the fairness of the move.

Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde labeled Lawson's treatment as close to "bullying," a sentiment that gained traction after reigning world champion Max Verstappen liked the post on social media. Verstappen later confirmed that the like was intentional, defending the New Zealander and highlighting the challenges of adapting to the current Red Bull car.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner justified the move, explaining that engineers' feedback raised concerns about Lawson's adaptation. He will return to the junior team, Racing Bulls, alongside rookie Isack Hadjar, with Red Bull ensuring he still has a future within the organization.