Red Bull’s Liam Lawson abandoned social media, unprepared for hostility from F1 fans after replacing Ricciardo and battling Pérez on track.
Liam Lawson revealed he no longer uses social media after receiving insults from fans of Daniel Ricciardo, whom he replaced at RB F1 in 2024, and from Sergio Pérez following on-track battles with the Mexican driver, whom he will replace at Red Bull in 2025.
“Initially, I saw a lot of insults because I didn’t expect it; I wasn’t ready for it,” Lawson stated. “To be honest, I don’t go on social media at all anymore. I post messages for my fans, but I don’t scroll or read comments.”
“You prepare for F1 to be ready as a driver, and then you don’t really expect or prepare for this kind of thing because you’re focused on driving.”
Lawson clashed with Sergio Pérez and was openly criticized by Fernando Alonso after battles with both drivers. He explained he hadn’t specifically targeted those drivers but was simply focused on delivering a strong performance.
“There’s nothing personal with anyone, but I had six races to show something. I’m not trying to be overly aggressive to prove anything, but I’m also not going to race differently just because someone has experience or is respected in the sport.”
Lawson isn’t concerned about adapting to the RB21, as he believes an F1 driver must always adapt to their car: “Regarding driving styles, I’m not sure I even believe such a thing truly exists.”
“I think there are certain things you like a car to do, but I also believe I’ve spent a lot of time developing this car, as a junior and as a reserve over the past two years, and I feel I have a pretty good understanding of how the car behaves.”
“But I also don’t believe in the idea that a car doesn’t suit your driving style. I think as drivers, we’re professionals; we must adapt to what we drive.”
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Red Bull’s Lawson Faces Online Abuse, Stops Scrolling Red Bull’s Lawson Faces Online Abuse, Stops Scrolling
