Lawson's Formula One Career Not Finished, According To Red Bull Advisor Helmut Marko

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Red Bull's Helmut Marko reassured demoted driver Liam Lawson that his Formula One journey is far from over. Despite being dropped after just two races in the 2025 season, Marko emphasised on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast that Lawson's career is not finished. The New Zealander will return to Racing Bulls, offering him a chance to rebuild and progress.

Lawson's early season struggles included a crash in Australia and a last-place qualification in China. These setbacks led to his replacement by Yuki Tsunoda for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. However, Marko noted that Racing Bulls provides a competitive environment where Lawson can aim for top 10 finishes in both qualifying and races.

Marko acknowledged Red Bull may have rushed Lawson's promotion, drawing parallels with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who also faced demotions but later became successful F1 drivers. He highlighted the RB21 car's challenging nature, which Max Verstappen manages well, but Lawson struggled with at this stage.

In the constructors' championship standings, Red Bull currently holds third place behind McLaren and Mercedes. This follows their loss of the title to McLaren last season. Marko expressed that Lawson's performance did not meet the team's high standards needed to reclaim the championship crown.

Marko stressed the importance of having two strong drivers for strategic support in their championship pursuit. "We have two drivers for the constructors' championship," he said. "If you have two drivers in the top five or eight it is easier to give Max a strategy that favours the number one driver."

Lawson managed a 12th place finish in China due to disqualifications affecting Ferrari drivers and Gasly. Despite these challenges, Marko remains optimistic about Lawson's potential comeback with Racing Bulls.