Liam Lawson has spoken publicly for the first time about his demotion back to Racing Bulls ahead of this weekend’s F1 Japanese GP.
Liam Lawson saw his underwhelming career at Red Bull end at the Chinese GP after just two races.
Struggling for pace during the opening rounds, senior figures in the team chose to act immediately.
The decision to demote Lawson back to the junior team marks the shortest stint for any full-time Red Bjll driver.
Ahead of the Japanese GP, Lawson faced the media over his demotion, and offered a candid response to his situation.
Liam Lawson “excited to get going”
Speaking at the Thursday FIA press conference, Lawson admitted he did not expect to be demoted so swiftly.
He confirmed when he found out about the move, revealing that he had no say in the decision.
“Obviously [it’s] an opportunity this weekend and maybe something I wasn’t expecting so early, but something that obviously is not my decision, and for me it’s about making the most of this opportunity now and still being in Formula 1. It’s been a good week of preparations, so I’m excited to get going.”
“I had no idea in China – it was something that was decided I guess the Monday or Tuesday afterwards. I found out after China, basically. It was I think for all of us probably more unexpected, but it was after the weekend.”
“It was more of a done deal, I would say. I left China starting preparations for Japan, and basically I had a phone call saying this was what was going to happen.”
Adapting to news
When asked his reaction to his demotion, Lawson admitted it was ‘tough to hear’ of the decision.
“I think I was more surprised.,” said Lawson. “Obviously it’s very early in the season, and I was hoping to go to a track that I’ve raced before and have a clean weekend to have a chance like that.
“The decision obviously was made when I was told, so although it was tough to hear, I had one or two days to think about it. Then I was in Faenza with VCARB [Racing Bulls] starting preparations and seat fits, and then you’re basically just focused on the job.
“I have the opportunity to still be in Formula 1 and still racing, and that is the main thing for me. I’m excited to be here. It’s been a strong start to the season for this team, for VCARB, so I guess it’s exciting for me to now come here in this position.”
Has Lawson’s experience knocked his confidence?
Lawson stated that his experience has not dented his confidence, stating he has self-belief in his abilities.
“Confidence-wise it doesn’t change a lot – we all have enough self-belief to be here, to make it to Formula 1,” he explained. “To be in the sport if you don’t have that self-belief, it makes it very difficult, so I think we all have that naturally.
“It doesn’t really change how I feel about myself. I think what it’s doing for me… The best opportunity I had felt like [it] was with Red Bull Racing and that’s where we’re all working towards, that’s what I was working towards since joining the junior programme as a 16-year-old, so obviously for me I’m going to feel like I would have liked to have made that opportunity work and that’s in my best interests.
“But Christian and the team will have their opinions on what’s best, and that’s up to them to decide.”
Is a return to Red Bull on the cards?
On the question of whether he can return to Red Bull in the future, Lawson was coy on his chances.
“I think we know how Formula 1 is and how quickly things change,” he said. “If I look back a year ago, I had no seat – I was here a year ago watching and wishing I was racing. Then I had the opportunity to race in the last year and the opportunity then to go to Red Bull Racing, so a lot has happened in 12 months.
“For me the main thing is being in a car – I have the opportunity to prove I belong here and that’s what I’ll try and do, and that’s what I do every single time I get in the car and that’s what I’ll be doing this weekend. Things change very quickly in terms of where my future is – I don’t know, and for me the only way I can control that is by driving fast.”
