Liam Lawson opens up about the tough personal impact of his tough Red Bull demotion
Liam Lawson has opened up honestly about the personal challenges he’s faced in Formula One, especially after his tough demotion from Red Bull.
Formula One is known for being a really tough and competitive sport, where drivers’ dreams can come true or fall apart in just weeks or months. Even though no driver has lost their seat yet for the 2026 season, rumors are already swirling about possible team changes as the summer break nears.
When it comes to dealing with the harsh side of F1, Lawson knows better than most. After a surprising promotion to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for 2025, his dream to race for a top team was cut short when he was demoted after only two races. He then returned to the junior team, Racing Bulls, where he still drives, while Yuki Tsunoda, who took over at Red Bull, lost his seat by the season’s end.
In a recent chat on the High Performance Podcast, Lawson shared how racing in F1 has affected his mental health in a very honest way. When asked what F1 has cost him, he said, “It sounds sad, but it’s probably just happiness. People might think I’m happier because of where I am, and I know I’m lucky to be here, but because I’m so focused and driven, I don’t feel happy until I achieve my goals. So overall, right now in life, I’m not as happy as people might think.”
A big reason for this is likely the tough experience of being dropped from Red Bull so quickly. In December 2024, he was given the rare chance to move up to Red Bull, but just three months later he was back with Racing Bulls. Lawson shared how the news shocked him, especially since he didn’t find out until it was official — despite rumors floating around beforehand.
He said, “I remember hearing rumors close to that weekend, but I trusted my team and thought it was just typical F1 gossip. Then when I went back, I couldn’t believe it.”
What made it harder was that in his last Red Bull race in China, the team tried a very different car setup, which he found tough to deal with. He explained, “If you told me before the race we’d run this crazy setup for my last time in a Red Bull, I’d have been surprised. It was really hard to handle.”
After the demotion, Lawson faced a lot of criticism from the public, which made things even harder. But he found support from other drivers — especially Max Verstappen. “There was so much noise about how badly I did and whether I should even be in F1. People said I was mentally struggling and that the team was doing it to protect me, but that wasn’t true at all. I talked to a lot of people, and Max was really supportive during that time,” he said.
Despite the ups and downs, Lawson’s story shows just how tough and demanding life in Formula One can be.