Liam Lawson’s brief, sharp burst in Red Bull colours is over. The New Zealander will be back in the familiar surrounds of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls garage for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his super-sub stint at the senior team officially closed.
The 24-year-old was drafted into Red Bull in August, thrown into the deep end as cover for Isack Hadjar after the French‑Algerian damaged his wrist over the summer break. No long runway, no gentle easing in. Just three races, a front-running car and a clear mandate: deliver.
He did.
Fourteen points from three grands prix is a tidy return in any context; in Lawson’s case, it marked a stark contrast to his previous Red Bull spell last season, when he was shuffled back down after only two outings. This time, he arrived more seasoned, more assured, and it showed in the way he handled the jump to a different car and a title-chasing environment.
Red Bull confirmed on Thursday that Hadjar has recovered and will slot straight back into the seat for the high-speed blast around the streets of Baku. The team’s farewell to Lawson carried genuine weight.
“The team would like to sincerely thank Liam for his professionalism, dedication and hard work over the past three races,” the statement read. “Stepping in under challenging circumstances, he delivered some impressive performances and made a valuable contribution to the team. We wish him all the best as he returns to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.”
For Lawson, the move isn’t a demotion so much as a reset. He returns to a garage that has increasingly become his own stage this season, a place where he has been quietly rebuilding his reputation after a chaotic 2025 campaign. Ninth in the drivers’ standings, regularly hauling his car into the points and often spearheading the midfield, he arrives in Baku with momentum rather than regret.
“It feels great to be back in my car alongside the team as we head to Baku,” Lawson said. “It has been a busy few weeks with the switch to Red Bull Racing, and I'm looking forward to getting back into the rhythm with the team and focusing on the weekend ahead.”
That “busy few weeks” included one of the standout drives of his Formula 1 career. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Lawson brought the Red Bull home in sixth place, a result that drew firm praise from team principal Laurent Mekies.
“I think he's done a very good job,” Mekies said. “I think we all know how difficult it is to jump to a different team, to a different car, and I think that he has done that to the best of what could have been our expectations.
“He has taken some very important points today with the P6. He did the same in Zandvoort and in Monza he would have done something similar without the contact with Nico [Hulkenberg] and the front wing damage.
“So, I think he did a very good job, again very different pictures compared to the first two races of 2025 when he was in the team so we are thankful and happy with that.”
Those “different pictures” tell the story. Twelve months ago, Lawson looked like a young driver fighting to keep his head above water. Now, he returns to Racing Bulls as a proven stand-in who has shown he can handle the demands of a front-running operation and still extract points under pressure.
Baku will test that growth in a different way. Back in the midfield, the margins are tighter, the air a little dirtier, the opportunities more fleeting. But Lawson has already shown this season that he can live in that chaos and still come away with something to show for it.
On-track action for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix begins tomorrow, with first practice at 10.30pm (NZT). Green flag and lights out follow at 11pm on Saturday.
Lawson will be there, back in his own car, back in his own fight — and with Red Bull now knowing exactly what he can do if the phone rings again.
