Liam Lawson on Red Bull demotion: 'It's tough'

Liam Lawson posted an emotional message over social media in the wake of his demotion from Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull announced Thursday that Yuki Tsunoda will replace Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix and going forward. The move to promote Tsunoda from its Racing Bulls team to partner with four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen comes after Lawson struggled during both the Australian and Chinese Grand Prix.

"Being a (Red Bull Racing) driver has been my dream since I was a kid, it's what I've worked towards my whole life," Lawson wrote on Instagram, complete with photos from his school days.

"It's tough, but I'm grateful for everything that's brought me to this point.

"To every one of you who's stood by me, thank you for all the support, it means the world."

Lawson, 23, was selected in December by Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner to replace Sergio Perez, who reached an agreement to part ways with the club after four years. Tsunoda was among those who also was in consideration for the seat, as was Isack Hadjar.

However, the team ultimately decided to go with Lawson, who had been on the Red Bull junior team since 2019 and took over Daniel Ricciardo's seat during last season.

The New Zealander entered 2025 with 11 F1 starts to his credit but has been unable to keep pace to begin 2025 in the RB21 car. Lawson has yet to register a point for the team with a did not finish in Australia and a P12 finish in China. He was the slowest car on the grid during both the sprint and Grand Prix qualifying sessions in China.

--Field Level Media