Liam Lawson heads back to familiar territory this weekend, and he does so with something he hasn’t had for weeks: clarity.
Shuffled back to Racing Bulls after a brief, bruising spell as Red Bull stand‑in, the Kiwi arrives in Baku knowing exactly which car is his and exactly what his job is. No split programmes. No late calls. Just a straight fight on a circuit where, 12 months ago, he produced the best result of his Formula 1 career.
From demotion to deliverance
Red Bull’s decision to demote Lawson just two races into 2025 stung. On track, though, he answered in the only language that matters.
Thrown into the Dutch Grand Prix with limited preparation and a new car under him, Lawson qualified just 0.115s shy of Max Verstappen. On Verstappen’s home turf. In equal machinery. Then, when the world champion crashed out on the opening lap, Lawson kept his head while chaos swirled and dragged the car to seventh place.
He was the only one of Red Bull’s four drivers to score points that afternoon.
The momentum carried into Monza, even if the result did not. A damaged front wing ruined his shot at the top 10 at the Italian Grand Prix, but the raw pace was there again. Any notion that Zandvoort had been a one‑off evaporated.
Spain removed the doubt completely. In Madrid, Lawson delivered sixth place and another haul of points. Across his three‑race stint, he banked 14 championship points – a return many full‑season midfield drivers would gladly sign for.
Back where it clicked
Now comes the reset. Back to Racing Bulls. Back to the team that watched him shine from afar while he kept Red Bull’s campaign afloat.
This time, the build‑up is his. No jumping between simulators and debriefs for two different squads in the same week. No hedging preparations while Isack Hadjar recovered. Lawson can lock in on one car, one garage, one set of engineers.
And the venue could hardly be better.
Baku is where Lawson first truly announced himself in this machinery. Last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw him qualify a superb third and convert that into fifth at the flag, his best result in Formula 1. The street circuit’s long straights and unforgiving walls reward commitment and precision; Lawson showed he has both.
He returns knowing that Racing Bulls need him at full tilt.
Constructors fight tightens
While Lawson has been away, the picture in the constructors’ standings has shifted. Racing Bulls still sit ahead of Alpine, but the cushion has been trimmed to just 11 points.
The team did catch a significant break earlier in the season when Pierre Gasly was stripped of his Monaco Grand Prix podium, handing Racing Bulls valuable breathing space. That margin has been eroded since, and the midfield battle now looks primed to go deep into the season.
Lawson’s points in his earlier cameo have already played a part in keeping Racing Bulls in front. His task now is to build on that platform rather than watch it crumble.
A different kind of weekend
There is one final twist. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend has been pulled forward by a day to avoid clashing with the nation’s annual remembrance day on September 27. For Lawson, that means an earlier start to a critical few days, with Thursday night (NZT) marking the beginning of practice.
The schedule is tighter. The margins, both on track and in the standings, are thinner. Lawson has already shown he can handle pressure with almost no warning.
Now he has time, a familiar car, and a circuit where he has already delivered. What he does with that combination in Baku will say plenty about where his season – and his future – goes next.
