“Couldn’t take the pressure”: Helmut Marko comments on Liam Lawson’s brief stint at Red Bull
Helmut Marko has said that Liam Lawson's short-lived promotion to Red Bull Racing ended due to the young driver's inability to cope with the pressure. The Austrian advisor's remarks come amid growing scrutiny over Lawson's form since returning to Racing Bulls.
Lawson's form hasn't improved since rejoining Racing Bulls following a two-race stint as Max Verstappen's teammate. In the five Grands Prix that have followed, the Kiwi has managed finishes of 17th (Japan), 16th (Bahrain), and 12th (Saudi Arabia), while failing to finish in Miami.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko addressed the move for the first time in an interview with BILD, where he directly pointed to Lawson's struggles under pressure as the reason behind the reshuffle.
"Liam couldn't handle the pressure at Red Bull. That's why it was the right decision to reorganize the cockpit. We know what we're doing, but we didn't drop Liam either.... The difference between Racing Bulls and Red Bull is not that big," Marko said via Racing News 365.
Liam Lawson's first full-time F1 season with Red Bull didn't offer the stability many expected. He spun on a wet Albert Park in the Australian Grand Prix which ended in a DNF and finished 12th in China.
Following his demotion to Racing Bulls, he has found middling results and a season-best 12th-place finish in Saudi Arabia. In Miami, a Sprint penalty for contact with Fernando Alonso pushed him out of the top eight, while his Grand Prix ended in a first-lap collision with Jack Doohan.
His replacement, Yuki Tsunoda has already found two top-ten finishes since moving to Red Bull. Marko, however, was keen to defend Lawson's reassignment and likened it to previous cases of Red Bull juniors taking the long road to success.
"He's still driving in Formula 1 and has one of 20 cockpits worldwide. We didn't kick him out, but placed him at Racing Bulls... This does not necessarily mean that a driver's career is over. Pierre Gasly also had to return from Red Bull to the junior team and is now a seasoned Formula 1 driver. Alexander Albon did not make it with us either, had to take a detour via the DTM and now drives for Williams."
Indeed, Alex Albon's trajectory offers a hopeful contrast. Since moving to Williams, the Thai-British driver has rebuilt his reputation. In 2025, Albon has scored points in five of six races and secured two top-five finishes including a standout P5 in Miami, finishing just behind Max Verstappen.
While Red Bull insists it hasn't given up on the New Zealander, mounting pressure and internal competition could dictate his future.
"If Liam doesn't improve... they put Lindblad in": Juan Montoya raises concerns about Liam Lawson's future
As Liam Lawson tries to improve his form, pressure continues to build from within Red Bull's own development ranks and around the paddock. Speaking to Spanish outlet Diario AS, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya expressed concerns over Lawson's future, hinting that highly rated junior Arvid Lindblad could be next in line if results don’t improve.
"I'll tell you the truth. If Liam doesn't improve any further, I wouldn't be surprised if they put Lindblad in at some point... The Red Bull situation was complicated and I think it took a very strong blow to his liver, and he needs a lot of psychological treatment after that. And if he doesn't recover soon, I'm sure Red Bull will start looking elsewhere, because that's how they work," Montoya said (via Planet F1)
He also alluded to Jack Doohan's firing at Alpine in favor of Franco Colapinto for the next five rounds. Though Montoya referenced that situation, the message remains clear, Red Bull doesn't hesitate to make bold changes when its junior drivers fail to meet performance benchmarks.
As the 2025 Formula 1 enters the heart of the European leg of the season, Liam Lawson faces an uphill battle to solidify his place.