Liam Lawson’s F1 dream stalls as Red Bull demands results fast. In racing, sympathy fades—lap times are the only currency.
Liam Lawson’s missed shot at a permanent seat in Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing might ultimately come down to one thing: performance.
Despite the setback, the young driver hasn’t been completely cast aside—he’s been placed back with Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s sister team. Still, the message is clear: in the high-stakes world of F1, time waits for no one.
David Coulthard, former Red Bull driver and current F1 analyst for Channel 4, understands the tough call—even if it came quickly.
“It’s harsh, no doubt. Two races isn’t much time,” he said. “But this isn’t about sympathy. This is Formula 1. It’s all about the stopwatch.”
Coulthard pointed out that Lawson had chances—and didn’t deliver.
“He had two opportunities and didn’t make them count. We all want to see young drivers succeed, but this is a results-driven sport. Red Bull is playing for high stakes. They can’t afford to wait around.”
He compared Lawson’s performance gap to that of Sergio Perez’s struggle to match Max Verstappen last year—an issue that eventually cost Perez his seat for 2025.
“Emotionally, Lawson had a rough start,” Coulthard said, referring to his crash in Australia. “It was as close as he had to a home Grand Prix, and everything that could go wrong, did. Then came China, and that was his chance to bounce back. But the gap was just too big.”
“Nobody wants to be last—but to finish at the back in both the Sprint and the main race? If he was already close to the edge emotionally, it’s hard to imagine how he’s feeling now.”
Coulthard emphasized that performance gaps are unforgiving in F1: “Look at Checo—he was far off Max last season, and that cost him his spot. Liam was even further behind.”
“For Liam, this will sting for a while.”
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Lawson Learns the Hard Way: F1 Waits for No One
Lawson Learns the Hard Way: F1 Waits for No One
