Liam Lawson admits he didn’t see Pink Bull demotion coming
Liam Lawson has admitted he was shocked to be taught he was being demoted by Pink Bull simply two races into the 2025 season.
The Kiwi driver grew to become the newest sufferer of the grid’s ruthless motion as workforce principal Christian Horner confirmed Lawson could be demoted from the senior workforce.
The 23-year-old will stay on the grid with Pink Bull’s second workforce Racing Bulls, the workforce he began his F1 profession with, whereas Yuki Tsunoda will companion with Max Verstappen.
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Lawson stated the choice was “not one thing that I noticed coming” so shortly.
“It was positively a shock, actually,” he advised Sky Sports activities.
“The discussions we have been having weren’t actually leaning on this path, so it was positively not one thing that I anticipated.”
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Oracle Pink Bull Racing walks in parc ferme through the F1 Grand Prix of China. Getty
The swap comes at a priceless time for Tsunoda as he’ll don the Pink Bull uniform for the primary time at his dwelling race in Japan.
Tsunoda was initially ignored for the seat as Horner favoured Lawson to be the alternative for Sergio Perez, who left the workforce on the finish of 2024.
However a rocky begin to the season noticed Lawson fail to complete on the Australian Grand Prix earlier than he missed a possibility to attain factors in China, crossing in nineteenth.
These outcomes triggered a troublesome begin to Pink Bull’s hopes of a constructors’ championship as McLaren gained a robust early lead.
Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar of Visa Money App Racing Bulls with Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen Oracle Pink Bull Racing. Getty Photographs for Oracle Pink Bull
Nonetheless, given he has solely featured on the grid 11 occasions, Lawson felt he would have been allowed extra time to showcase his skills.
“Clearly, I’d have cherished extra time,” stated Lawson.
“We had a rocky testing. We had a rocky first weekend in Melbourne with apply. After which clearly China was a dash.
“However it’s not my choice, so I am right here to profit from this one.”
Lawson will function for the primary time this season within the Racing Bull when he completes the primary apply session of the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.
