What are the expectations for Liam Lawson in Japan after his demotion?

As expected, Liam Lawson was the center of attention this Thursday on the sidelines of the Japanese Grand Prix media day. Two weeks after the Chinese Grand Prix, the Kiwi publicly presented himself in Racing Bulls gear, and with a demotion since then. Red Bull in his suitcases.

Although he had time to digest the devastating news, the Hastings native admitted to being surprised by the decision, and even finding it a bit of a shock. And rightly so, since the Austrian team only granted him two Grands Prix, depriving him of the opportunity to defend his position a little longer.

« It was a shock in all honesty., he confessed to Suzuka our colleagues at Sky Sports. I didn't see it coming. The discussions we had weren't really going in that direction, so I wasn't expecting it.

The car is difficult to drive, but we were in the middle of an adjustment process. Every session, we were making adjustments or getting used to something we didn't know. It's not so much about driving style or anything like that. It's just about adapting, literally. And I didn't have time to do that. But obviously, it's not my decision, so I'm here to make the most of it. »

Back to square one

For Liam Lawson, this demotion inevitably symbolizes a failure, even though he is aware that Red Bull rushed him, perhaps seeing initial expectations as a bit too high after his strong performances with Racing Bulls last year. However, this last year also feels like a new beginning... from scratch.

Or almost, because the Kiwi knows the world of his little sister very well, having always replaced her successfully. Daniel Ricciardo, both in 2023 and 2024. It was these performances, and his state of mind, which pushed the parent team to promote him in the off-season rather than Yuki tsunoda. It is therefore a new opportunity for him to demonstrate what he is really worth, that he is capable of bouncing back after such an episode and above all that he knows how to take it.

A team more to his liking?

In an environment he knows very well and where he knows that all the attention (or almost all of it) will not be drawn to a single driver, Lawson probably has all the elements at his disposal to do well. Obviously, we should not expect him to go from the back of the grid to immediately fighting for Q3 or points in Sunday's race. The New Zealander, who has no intention of rushing into anything, wants in any case to prove that he fully deserves his place on the grid, and even in a team at the top of the table.

« We all know the F1 and how quickly things can changehe recalls. If I look back a year, I didn't have a seat. I was here as a spectator hoping to get a ride.

I then had the opportunity to drive at the end of the year and join Red Bull. So a lot has happened in 12 months. For me, the main thing is to be in a car. I have the opportunity to prove that I belong here and that's what I'm going to try to do, that's what I do every time I get in the car and that's what I'm going to do this weekend. I think things change very, very quickly. »

Liam Lawson had the chance to visit Racing Bulls headquarters in Italy to do some simulator training. Confident in his ability to bounce back, he preferred to take it easy, believing he'll need some real driving—probably Friday—to truly understand his potential. As for his future, he insists that only his driving style will allow him to truly control it...

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