Brundle: Lawson’s reputation ‘trashed’ by Red Bull chaos

Sky Sports F1 pundit and former F1 driver Martin Brundle has weighed in on Red Bull’s controversial decision to demote Liam Lawson to Racing Bulls, claiming the move has left the New Zealander’s reputation “temporarily trashed.”

The decision came after Lawson’s challenging start to the season, which saw him struggle with mechanical issues and difficult race conditions.

In Australia, Lawson’s weekend was hampered by turbo problems, giving him minimal time to adjust to the RB21. After qualifying 18th, he later crashed out in a rain-plagued race.

China offered no redemption: Lawson languished at the back, qualifying 20th for the Grand Prix and scraping to 12th only after three drivers ahead were disqualified.

Meanwhile, Verstappen, wrestling the same tricky car, still muscled his way onto the podium behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.

For Red Bull’s brass, it was the final straw – after a tense Shanghai debrief, Lawson was out, headed back to Racing Bulls.

Brundle’s Blunt Assessment

In the wake of this week’s news, Brundle took to X.com to dissect the chaos, and his verdict was scathing.

“Red Bull uniquely has a junior team on the grid so it’s doubly confusing they are in such a mess with drivers. And their only driver they desperately need appears to be casting around for the future,” he wrote, jabbing at the team’s perplexing inability to stabilize their lineup despite owning Racing Bulls as a talent incubator.

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The decision to ditch Lawson after just two races, he implied, was the latest chapter in a saga of mismanagement. Tsunoda’s promotion might bolster Red Bull’s immediate prospects, but it left Lawson as collateral damage—and raised bigger questions about the team’s future.

“Liam Lawson’s reputation is temporarily trashed and he has nothing to lose now,” Brundle continued, painting a stark picture of a driver whose stock had plummeted through no fault of his own—or at least, not entirely.

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Lawson, thrust into the pressure cooker of partnering Verstappen with minimal prep, had been set up to stumble. Yet Brundle saw a silver lining: with his reputation at rock bottom, the 23-year-old could shed the weight of expectation.

“He should turn that into an advantage and let his natural talent flow,” he urged, a call for Lawson to channel his raw skill and fight back at Racing Bulls next week in Japan.

The Road Ahead

As Lawson dusts himself off and prepares to rejoin Racing Bulls alongside rookie Isack Hadjar, Tsunoda slips into Red Bull red for his long-awaited shot at glory in Japan.

The paddock’s eyes will be glued to both – Tsunoda to see if he can finally crack the Verstappen conundrum, and Lawson to prove Brundle right by unleashing the talent Red Bull so hastily discarded.

The former F1 driver’s take was clear: Lawson’s reputation might be “temporarily trashed,” but the story’s far from over.

In F1’s unforgiving arena, where fortunes flip faster than a qualifying lap, the Kiwi’s next move could either bury him – or bury Red Bull’s doubts.

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