Racing Bulls Boss Denies Liam Lawson Theory: ‘It Wasn’t Us’

Liam Lawson has returned to Racing Bulls this season after a challenging stint with Red Bull. Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies made it clear that the team did not need to rebuild Lawson’s confidence.

The New Zealand driver began the 2025 Formula 1 season at Red Bull, partnering with Max Verstappen for the opening two races in Australia and China. However, after those races, Lawson lost his seat to Yuki Tsunoda, who moved up from Racing Bulls to the senior team, and Lawson was sent back to Racing Bulls.

Since his return, Lawson has faced tough competition from his new team-mate, Isack Hadjar. Data from the first part of the season shows Hadjar leading the in-team qualifying battle 7-1 and averaging a qualifying lap time almost half a second quicker than Lawson at 0.474 seconds.

Lawson’s best showing against Hadjar came in Saudi Arabia, his only head-to-head qualifying win so far. Despite the tough results, Lawson’s confidence has begun to improve, especially after scoring his first points of the season with an eighth-place finish at Monaco. Carlos Sainz’s fears at Monaco highlighted the difficulty of the circuit, making Lawson’s achievement more impressive.

He narrowly missed another point in Barcelona where he finished 11th, just behind Max Verstappen, who had been penalized during the race.

Laurent Mekies, when asked about Lawson’s progress and whether Racing Bulls had helped rebuild his confidence after his Red Bull exit, dismissed the theory. Mekies said the change in results was not about rebuilding a driver, but more about Lawson adapting to a new car under difficult circumstances.

Mekies pointed out that stepping into a car mid-season—without previous experience driving it—makes it hard for any driver to be competitive right away. He noted that it was the same challenge for Tsunoda moving up to Red Bull.

Mekies explained that Lawson’s improved performances are linked to getting comfortable with the Racing Bulls car, not some special recovery program. According to Mekies, the lap-time improvements seen each weekend are the result of Lawson gradually understanding how to get the most from the car.

He insisted Lawson is simply learning and getting into a better rhythm, which is allowing him to push more.

The Racing Bulls team currently sits sixth in the constructor standings, with Lawson and Hadjar together scoring 28 points so far in 2025. For context, McLaren leads the way with 362 points, while Red Bull is fourth at 144 points.

Lawson’s ability to adapt and improve is gaining attention within the paddock, even as Hadjar sets the pace for their team.

As the 2025 season continues, Lawson will look to close the gap to his team-mate and prove he can compete at the highest level. Racing Bulls continues to support both drivers and focus on maximizing results at each event.

The coming races will offer more chances for Lawson to build on his experience and seek further points finishes.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.