Liam Lawson has opened up about the emotional and mental toll of his early-season demotion from Red Bull Racing to Racing Bulls, admitting that he has yet to fully come to terms with the events that saw him replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two race weekends.
Despite now finding more stability at Racing Bulls, the 22-year-old Kiwi admits the rapid pace of the F1 calendar has left little room to mentally catch up.
Lawson’s brief stint with the senior Red Bull outfit came to an abrupt halt after disappointing outings at the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, where he struggled to deliver results under immense pressure. But while the switch was made swiftly, the emotional impact is lingering.
“You almost get lost in this world”
In an interview with F1.com, Lawson reflected on the whirlwind of the season so far. When asked if he’d had time to process his demotion, his answer was honest and revealing.
"Honestly, not really – not yet. I think now it's not quite… I think the summer break is the time everybody mentally switches off, at least for a week or so," he said.
"We all know we have a couple more races coming up before then. You're still in that mindset, you're still thinking about what just happened, how we're going to improve in the next couple of races, and how I'm going to improve myself. You're just in it."
Since returning to Racing Bulls, Lawson has found some rhythm, claiming a pair of top-ten finishes – in Monaco and in Austria. Still, he acknowledges how relentless the sport can be – even off-track.
"Here, you're forced to basically come out of a race weekend, especially on a triple-header, have a day to think about what just happened, and then you're straight away thinking about the next race. You almost get lost in this world," he explained.
"I don't know if it's healthy or not healthy, but you just think about F1, the performance and the result. I sit here now and we're nearly mid-July. The year has just gone. The fact we've done 12 races is insane, and they've just gone by like that."
Confidence Never Took a Hit
Lawson was also quick to dismiss speculation that the early setback damaged his confidence. While critics pointed to his struggles in qualifying and race pace during his brief Red Bull stint – most notably crashing out in Australia and finishing at the back in China – he says his mindset remained unchanged.
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“I think I would say one thing to be clear about is that between the first couple of races, to the team switch, then going to Japan, mentally for me nothing changed,” he said.
“It’s been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year, I felt the same as I always have.”
For Lawson, the short window he was given didn’t reflect his full potential.
“I think in two races, on tracks I’d never been to, it’s not really enough for my confidence… maybe six months into a season, if I’m still at that level, if the results are still like that, then I’d be feeling something – maybe my confidence would be taking a hit," he added.
Looking Ahead
Halfway through the 2026 F1 season, Lawson is choosing to focus on the road ahead.
"It's nice to have a bit of time to breathe, but mentally I'm thinking about Belgium and Hungary that are coming up, and trying to go into that break with a good couple of races," he said.
Though the scars of a sudden demotion may still linger, Lawson’s clarity of thought and refusal to be shaken suggest he’s still very much a contender for Red Bull’s future – should the opportunity arise again.
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