Liam Lawson predicted to bounce back by Red Bull insider

After a chaotic and poor start to the season for Liam Lawson, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has clarified Lawson's future within the Red Bull program.

During an interview with Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Marko compared Lawson's situation to that of a "battered boxer" who had his confidence shaken after a run of poor results and mistakes.

The move to put Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull Racing car and demote Lawson down to the Racing Bulls seat was not "an easy decision," according to Marko.

“But Liam was like a stricken boxer, and we are not throwing him out of Formula 1. He remains active within Red Bull and the Racing Bull is a good car," he said.

“We have also had to make similar decisions in the past with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. They then recovered and are highly regarded Formula 1 drivers.

“We are in the unique position of being able to do this. In another team, he would have left Formula 1 immediately."

Lawson's future on the grid after this season is uncertain, as he will likely need a stellar season to gain consideration for the senior team again.

Additionally, he must be imposing to put himself on the shop window, as he enters a contract year that will determine if he even has a drive next season.

Even after dropping Lawson for Yuki, Marko remains confident that the New Zealander can turn it around.

“I also believe that if Liam had not had so many technical problems and the car was more controllable, this would have worked," Marko said.

“It’s always easy to talk with hindsight. But all of us now, meaning all the shareholders, came to the conclusion that we had to make this change.”

In fairness to Lawson, the second Red Bull seat has been tumousoious, as Max Verstappen reguarly sets a high bar in the car, and provides a mighty comparison point, even for established drivers.

Sergio Perez, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly were outclassed by Verstappen. The Dutchman is clearly the focal point around which the team revolves in terms of car development priority and style.

Many drivers, like Max, have struggled with the type of car he prefers- one with a sharp front end that creates significant instability in the rear.

Lawson was regularly seen trying to cope with the rear of his car sliding, which led to a loss in lap time during qualifying, and hindered his ability to move up the pack during the races.

The Racing Bulls car he is about to enter has been a smooth ride for both Tsunoda and Issak Hadjer, which could help Lawson save his F1 career.