Opinion: Why Liam Lawson deserves the second Red Bull chance

– Dear readers,
even though Liam Lawson is only stepping in temporarily for the injured Isack Hadjar at the Dutch Grand Prix, his return to Red Bull is a well-deserved reward after his disastrous first outings for the team.

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You can call it cosmic karma or balancing justice: of all places, where Lawson made his Formula 1 debut in 2023 as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo, the New Zealander is stepping in again in Zandvoort for a driver from the Red Bull camp – again due to a hand injury.

He ultimately used his six races for AlphaTauri (now: Racing Bulls) in 2023 as a springboard to become a regular driver after the team finally parted ways with Ricciardo during the 2024 season.

This led to a promotion to Red Bull in 2025 – replacing Yuki Tsunoda. But after only two disastrous race weekends, Lawson was quickly swapped with Tsunoda and sent back to the sister team. (Photo series: The short Red Bull career of Liam Lawson)

Photo series: The short Red Bull career of Liam Lawson

Lawson was practically thrown into the deep end with a difficult car and was given little time to find his footing.

How Lawson thinks about his Red Bull time today

He could have easily hung his head or left scorched earth afterwards. Instead, the 24-year-old has since worked his way back quietly but steadily. At Racing Bulls, he developed into a more complete driver and helped bring the British-Italian team to sixth place in the constructors’ standings.

“I would have liked to believe that I could have gotten it under control with enough time,” Lawson said at the end of last year looking back on his brief stint at Red Bull. “Those two race weekends were … Honestly, I can hardly remember them anymore. But many things happened this year that have made me significantly stronger.”

In the other car, Isack Hadjar benefited from having sat in the cockpit throughout the 2025 season. On average, he was the faster driver over a lap, even though his advantage gradually decreased. That Hadjar was awarded the top team seat for 2026 was therefore a logical decision.

At the same time, however, Lawson showed enough speed, consistency, and resilience to earn another season. In 2026, he is engaged in a close internal team battle with rookie Arvid Lindblad. In the qualifying duel, Lawson leads 8:6, while both regularly fight for championship points.

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How much Lawson has improved

“We could see that he was definitely not the same guy anymore. I don’t want to say we rebuilt him, because that would be a bit dramatic. But we supported him and helped him where we could,” said team principal Alan Permane on the Formula 1 podcast “Beyond the Grid.”

Permane praised Lawson: “We are there to help him, but he himself made the turnaround. He worked hard in the simulator, he worked hard off and on the track. And I think that ultimately culminated in some really, really good performances.”

“He is extremely focused, and that is also reflected in his driving style. He has a much better understanding of the car. I think he works better and closer with his engineers. He knows what he needs from the car, and he is able to drive it in a way that gets the maximum out of it.”

Why the starting position is now completely different

Since Lawson’s fateful first stint at Red Bull, the team’s leadership has changed. Both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko are no longer part of the team. (Photo series: The last substitute driver appearances in Formula 1)

Photo series: The last substitute driver appearances in Formula 1

Lawson now at least gets the opportunity for a second attempt with the big Red Bull team – albeit initially only as a substitute driver. That he will return to Racing Bulls after Hadjar’s recovery will likely take some pressure off.

Lawson can only benefit

At the same time, Lawson belongs to an organization whose purpose also includes training drivers for the top team. And because young driver Nikola Zolow is impressing in Formula 2 and sooner or later is likely to have a good chance at a seat with Racing Bulls, Lawson now has the opportunity to further increase his own market value and improve his future prospects.

If everything goes according to plan with Isack Hadjar’s recovery, Lawson’s second stint for Red Bull could even be shorter than the first. But strange things can happen in Formula 1. The very way Lawson got this chance proves that. In the best case, this stint could be another springboard for Lawson’s long-term future.

And even in the worst case, it is a well-deserved reward for his persistence – and the opportunity to close the circle after a formative chapter of his career.

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Filip Cleeren