By Holly Wright
Liam Lawson’s Formula 1 career has already contained moretwists and turns than most drivers experience in several seasons.
Promotion to Red Bull, an abrupt demotion, a period ofrebuilding at Racing Bulls and now a second opportunity with the senior team have all formed part of the New Zealander’s short journey.
His latest Red Bull stint lasted only three Grand Prix’s, but it could prove important for what comes next.
Lawson was handed the Red Bull seat after Isack Hadjarfractured his wrist during the summer break, ruling the Frenchman out of the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix.
Stepping up from Racing Bulls with little preparation time, Lawson scored points in two of those three races.
He finished seventh at Zandvoort and sixth in Madrid, whileMonza proved more difficult after starting from the pit lane and suffering early damage.
Hadjar’s return always meant Lawson would eventually have to give the seat back however, those three weekends provided another opportunity for the New Zealander to change the perception of him within the Red Bull family.
Development & Experience
The most important part of Lawson’s second spell with RedBull was not simply the points he scored; it was the way he looked comfortable in a car he had barely
had time to understand.
Eighteen months earlier, Lawson’s first promotion ended after only two races. He qualified 18th and retired in Australiabefore starting from the back in China and finishing more than a minute behind Max Verstappen.
Those results contributed to him being sent back to Racing Bulls.
Lawson has previously rejected suggestions that theexperience damaged his confidence, instead returning to Racing Bulls with the objective of proving what he could do.
Seven points-scoring finishes during 2025 helped rebuild hisposition, while his 2026 performances represented another step forward.
Before being called up, Lawson had scored in six of seven races and was helping his team compete towards the front of the midfield.
He had also established himself ahead of highly rated team-mate Arvid Lindblad over the course of the season.
That consistency was ultimately what earned him theopportunity. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies also praised Lawson’s calmness, focus and ability to keep his approach simple, contrasting his latest performances with the difficult opening two races of his first spell.
That is arguably more significant than the raw points tally.
Lawson had already shown flashes of pace in Formula 1. What he needed to demonstrate was that he could consistently extract performance without allowing the pressure surrounding his position to dictate his weekends.
His three races alongside Verstappen suggested he has madeprogress in that area.
Hadjar’s Contract Changes The Picture
There is, however, an obvious obstacle for Lawson. The Red Bull seat he occupied temporarily is no longer available to him for 2027.
Hadjar has been confirmed for a second season alongside Verstappen after an impressive first campaign with the senior team.
The 21-year-old’s season included a third-place finish atMonaco, while his qualifying average put him just 0.239 seconds behind Verstappen over the first half of the campaign.
He also out-qualified the four-time World Champion three times, although those results came with mitigating circumstances, including Verstappen’s qualifying crash in Australia and an engine issue at Silverstone.
Hadjar remains eighth in the Drivers’ Championship despitemissing the last three Grand Prix through injury, underlining the strength of his campaign.
Red Bull therefore had a clear reason to keep faith with himhowever, Hadjar’s extension does not necessarily meanLawson’s dream is over.
The deal is understood to be relatively short-term. WhileVerstappen is contracted through the end of 2030 the seat alongside him has also historically been one of the most changeable positions on the grid.
For Lawson, though, looking too far ahead would be amistake.
His immediate future is back at Racing Bulls, where he hadbeen enjoying the most consistent spell of his Formula 1 career before Red Bull came calling.
That is where he now needs to continue making his case.
Focus Now On Racing Bulls
Lawson returns to a Racing Bulls team that has already shownit possesses a car capable of scoring points at a variety of circuits.
More importantly, he knows the team, knows the car and knows what is expected of him.
Before his Red Bull call-up, Lawson had scored in six ofseven races, producing the kind of consistent run that made him a natural choice when Hadjar became unavailable.
The challenge now is to pick up where he left off as there is plenty of competition and people fighting for an f1 seat.
Lindblad remains alongside him, while Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov is pushing for an opportunity after a strong first Formula 2 campaign.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has already described Tsolov as
“next in line” for an F1 promotion.
Lawson therefore cannot take his place on the grid for grantedbut his latest Red Bull experience gives him something theyounger drivers do not yet possess: experience.
He has raced alongside established drivers, competed forRacing Bulls across multiple seasons and now has direct experience of operating a Red Bull alongside Verstappen.
Most importantly, he has shown that the disappointment of2025 did not stop his development.
Has Lawson Done Enough To Be Verstappen’s Next Team-mate?
There is an argument that Lawson has done more than simplystrengthen his case to remain at Racing Bulls. He has strengthened the case for being seriously considered
when Red Bull next needs a driver alongside Verstappen. That does not mean he should automatically be handed the seat.
Hadjar has earned his 2027 opportunity after a strong firstseason, and Red Bull’s decision to retain him reflects his performances alongside Verstappen but Lawson’s three-race stint has shown that the New Zealander should not be written out of the conversation.
The biggest difference between Lawson now and the driver who was dropped after two races in 2025 is experience.
He has experienced the pressure of being promoted to RedBull, the disappointment of being sent back to Racing Bulls and the challenge of rebuilding his reputation.
He also had a full season of racing before being thrown backinto the senior car. This time, he looked ready.
With barely any preparation, Lawson stepped into a car he had not driven competitively for more than a year and immediately produced competitive performances.
He scored points in two of his three appearances, including sixth in Madrid, while having to prepare for the possibility ofracing for either Red Bull or Racing Bulls.
That is not the same as having a full winter to prepare for a season, but it arguably provides a better indication of his development than his original two-race opportunity.
Lawson’s return also came after a period of strong RacingBulls form. Six points finishes in seven races demonstrated a level of consistency that had previously been missing from his results.
He was not simply handed another opportunity because he
happened to be available, he had earned it and then he made the most of it.
Hadjar’s contract means Lawson’s immediate route to Red Bull is blocked for 2027, but it does not necessarily close the door beyond that.
If Lawson continues to develop at Racing Bulls, thecircumstances could look very different when Red Bull next assesses its options.
There will be competition, with Tsolov and Lindblad both part of the team’s future planning. Lawson therefore cannot assume that being part of the Red Bull family will be enough.
He has to keep earning his place. That is why his return to Racing Bulls matters so much.
The next step is not about proving that he can drive the RedBull, he has already done that. It is about proving that the performances he produced in the senior car were not simply the result of a favourable three-race opportunity.
If Lawson returns to Racing Bulls and continues scoringpoints, outperforming his team-mate and demonstrating the calmness and consistency praised by Mekies, the conversation changes again.
He is no longer simply the driver who was demoted after tworaces, he becomes the driver who was given a second chance and showed he was ready for it.
When Red Bull eventually has to decide who should sitalongside Verstappen, Lawson deserves to be part of that conversation.
For now, his focus has to remain on Racing Bulls. The Red Bull door may be closed for 2027, but it is not necessarily locked forever.
Lawson has already learned how quickly his career canchange. His challenge now is to make sure that when Red Bull next needs Verstappen’s number two, his name is impossible to ignore.
