Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson has spoken out after he was demoted from Red Bull after just two races.
The team announced last night it would swap the 23-year-old Kiwi for Japanese Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson will race for Racing Bulls, starting at next week's Japan Grand Prix.
In a post to Instagram this morning, Lawson called the circumstances of his demotion "tough".
"Being a Red Bull Racing driver has been my dream since I was a kid, it’s what I’ve worked towards my whole life. It’s tough, but I'm grateful for everything that’s brought me to this point.
"To every one of you who’s stood by me, thank you for all the support, it means the world.
"Thank you Racing Bulls for the warm welcome, I’m excited and ready to go to work at one of my favourite places (japan)."
The two races Lawson spent at Red Bull had been difficult for Lawson. Failing to score points, he struggled to keep up with his teammate Max Verstappen in the difficult to drive RB21.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained the move last night, saying it had been "difficult" to watch Lawson struggle with the car.
"We went into the 2025 season with two ambitions: to retain the Drivers’ Championship and to regain the Constructors’ title. This is a purely sporting decision.
'A purely sporting decision' - see more coverage of Lawson's demotion on TVNZ+
“We recognise that there is still much work to be done with the RB21, and Yuki’s experience will prove extremely useful as we develop the current car. We welcome him to the team and look forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21."
He said the team had a "duty of care" to "protect and develop" Lawson.
"We see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly to allow Liam to gain experience as he continues his Formula 1 career with Racing Bulls in an environment and with a team that he knows very well.”
Lawson will pair with fellow rookie Isack Hadjar for the remainder of the season.
Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls, said about Lawson: “Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has.
"He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a team. With Isack having started so strongly with us already, we know we have a young and strong line-up.”
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