Montoya warns Lawson of risk of mid-season drama with RB

Juan Pablo Montoya believes the heat is still on Liam Lawson despite the Kiwi’s recent demotion to Racing Bulls.

Once hailed as a rising star in the Red Bull stable, Lawson now faces a stark warning from the former Williams and McLaren driver: raise your game, or risk losing your seat.

The seven-time Grand Prix winner’s words paint a precarious picture for the 23-year-old, who is struggling to reassert himself and match the performances of his rookie sensation teammate, Isack Hadjar.

Lawson’s journey has been a rollercoaster. Last year, he was drafted in by RB to replace an underperforming Daniel Ricciardo, a return to the grid that earned him a promotion to Red Bull Racing for the 2025 season.

But the fairy tale took a gut-wrenching turn. After just two lackluster rounds, Red Bull made the bold call to swap Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda, demoting him back to Racing Bulls.

"Honestly, Liam has been given the green light last year and has proven that he has what it takes to do a good job. They gave him the Red Bull seat, and he won it,” Montoya told AS.

"The Red Bull situation was complicated and I think it took a very strong blow to his liver, and he needs a lot of psychological treatment after that."

The Pressure is Still On

Now, Lawson finds himself under scrutiny once again, struggling to match the blistering pace of Hadjar. According to Montoya, the Kiwi’s tenure with RB could be at risk if he is unable to improve his performance in the coming months.

Red Bull’s highly-rated teenage protégé, Arvid Lindblad, is turning heads in the FIA F2 Championship, having quietly collected the FIA superlicence points requited to race in F1.

Though he can’t compete until turning 18 in August, Montoya believes the Red Bull hierarchy will waste no time in exploring alternatives if Lawson doesn’t deliver – especially with Lindblad being groomed as the next big thing by Red Bull’s Helmut Marko.

“I’ll tell you the truth. If Liam doesn’t improve any further, I wouldn’t be surprised if they [Racing Bulls] put Lindblad in at some point,” commented Montoya.

“Not at all. I wouldn’t be a little surprised.”

The Lindblad Threat and Red Bull’s Ruthless Edge

Lindblad is no ordinary teenager. Marked as a future star, the Briton is a tantalizing prospect for Racing Bulls, waiting in the wings alongside another contender,

Ayumu Iwasa. But it’s Lindblad’s precocious talent that has Montoya sounding the alarm for Lawson. The FIA might need to grant an exception for the 17-year-old, who won’t turn 18 until August, but Red Bull’s history of bold moves suggests they wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

Montoya draws a parallel to Alpine’s current gamble, where Franco Colapinto is auditioning for Jack Doohan’s seat.

“If he [Lawson] doesn’t recover soon, I’m sure Red Bull will start looking elsewhere because that’s how they work,” the Colombian elaborated.

“It’s Red Bull, it’s a bit like what’s happening with Alpine right now. Whenever Franco [Colapinto] doesn’t do well, the same thing will happen.”

Red Bull’s ruthless streak is no secret. The six-time constructors’ champions have a reputation for making swift, decisive calls, and Lawson’s recent performances haven’t helped his case.

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Hadjar’s meteoric rise only sharpens the spotlight on Lawson’s struggles, and the specter of Lindblad looms large.

The young Kiwi must dig deep, not just to match his teammate but to prove he belongs in the cutthroat world of F1.

For Lawson, it’s more than a race against Hadjar – it’s a fight for survival.

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