Liam Lawson: The Unfinished Business in the Red Bull Empire
It was the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, and as I watched, my focus inevitably drifted to Liam Lawson.
The reason is that he started this season as a Red Bull Formula 1® driver, strapped into a car with the undeniable potential to win races, claim podiums, and consistently collect points.
Yet, the media hype and, frankly, some of the remarkably harsh comments made against Liam – a young man entering only his second year in Formula 1® – must have been incredibly damaging and upsetting to deal with, and it took a lot of character to come back from the complexities at Red Bull that where trust upon him. He handled the demotion remarkably well.
But here’s my core point: Liam Lawson has gotten back in the Red Bull Junior race team's car, and he's gotten on with his job.
He’s still in Formula 1®; he’s still in one of those incredibly coveted F1® seats, of which there are only 20. And he has a point to prove, and in Austria, his patience paid off.
The Point to Prove
When you're a young, energetic, and enthusiastic driver, you thrive on proving these points.
However, in the true spirit of Red Bull and their acclaimed junior teams, Liam's apprenticeship program and ethos, Liam is likely to be brimming with enthusiasm and a desire to go head-to-head with Yuki Tsunoda; he may not have the absolute best package right now. But if he maintains his footing, keeps his enthusiasm, his concentration, and his focus, he could catch him and prove a crucial point to Christian Horner and the team: that was his seat, and he wants it back. With a stunning 6th-place finish this weekend, he has now gained the points and will be looking for that game within a game to finish about Yuki and regain his seat back at Red Bull Racing for 2026.
So, as we move into Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, it's time to watch this space.
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