Villeneuve: ‘Lawson came into F1 very arrogant’

Jacques Villeneuve has offered a different view on the fate suffered by Red Bull Racing driver Liam Lawson, claiming the young Kiwi’s “very arrogant” attitude set him up for a dramatic fall from grace.

Ahead of next week’s Japanese Grand Prix, the 23-year-old, who replaced Sergio Perez at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen for the 2025 season, was demoted back to the energy drink company’s sister outfit, Racing Bulls, after just two races, having failed to score points and suffering consecutive Q1 eliminations in qualifying.

Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 title winner turned outspoken pundit, argues that Lawson’s lackluster performance with the championship-winning team was a direct consequence of his overconfidence.

“You have to bear in mind that he came into F1 very arrogant,” Villeneuve told NZCasino. “He came into F1 last year saying how amazing he would be and he had an attitude.

"When the results don’t come, it makes everybody react even stronger.”

A Brutal Price for Early Failure

Lawson had indeed previously earned a reputation for being outspoken and unafraid to challenge senior drivers, notably clashing with Fernando Alonso and showing the middle finger to Sergio Perez during last season’s Mexican Grand Prix.

But Villeneuve argues that such confidence must be backed by results, and in Red Bull’s ultra-competitive environment, there is no room for error.

“It’s actually the worst result ever in a Red Bull car, so he’s paying his own price there. He set himself up in a way,” he added.

“When you start with Red Bull you have to be on it right away, and that’s the price to pay for being put in the best team.”

“You want to take that risk? Good. But then the opposite side is you’ll pay a dear price if it doesn’t work out.

“That’s just the way it is, and that’s okay. That’s how it should be.”

A Harsh Call?

While Villeneuve is critical of Lawson’s attitude, he admits he did not expect Red Bull to demote the new Zealander so quickly.

“I thought they might give him another three races when they come back to Europe, so they could then make a considered decision,” he said.

Despite his belief that Red Bull was justified in punishing Lawson’s lack of performance, Villeneuve acknowledges that the team could have allowed a little more time for evaluation.

Montoya: ‘Red Bull Needed to Give Lawson More Time’

Villeneuve’s former F1 colleague, Juan Pablo Montoya, also weighed in on the topic, criticizing Red Bull’s cutthroat approach to Lawson’s demotion.

“Red Bull needed to give Liam Lawson more time, yes,” commented the Colombian.

“How can you make a decision on two races? It amazes me that they think it is just a driver issue, not a car issue, or an engineering issue, or a core group issue. How ruthless do you need to be to go?”

Montoya’s perspective casts doubt on Red Bull’s judgment, hinting that deeper problems might lie within the team’s setup.

The former Williams and McLaren charger also revisited Sergio Perez’s struggles in the same seat, suggesting Lawson’s failure might reflect more on the car than the driver.

“Then I go back to the same question, then how good was Checo Perez then? Because he could do a pretty decent job on that car.

“His career was killed because we all at the time thought Checo was the problem. We were asking, ‘What the hell is wrong with Checo?’ Now you look back at it and you go, ‘My God, it was the bloody car,’” he reflected.

Verstappen’s Influence on Red Bull’s Dominance

Montoya went further, arguing that Red Bull’s current success hinges almost entirely on Verstappen.

“If for some reason Max were to leave Red Bull this year, the car would be racing behind the Racing Bulls. I think the sister team would be more competitive.

“I think the Red Bull is a quick car, but everything is geared to Max,” he stated.

This theory – often denied by Red Bull – implies Lawson was doomed from the start, stepping into a machine tailored to Verstappen’s unique driving style – a challenge few could meet.

In the end, Lawson’s brief Red Bull chapter has sparked a fierce debate, with Villeneuve pointing to the Kiwi’s arrogance as the root of his downfall, while Montoya questions whether Red Bull’s impatience and Verstappen-centric setup are the real culprits.

For now, Lawson is licking his wounds at Racing Bulls, his F1 future hanging in the balance.

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