Liam Lawson admits that his return to Racing Bulls was not without its challenges. After a brief and disappointing stint with Red Bull, the New Zealander was demoted back to the sister team after just two race weekends, where he struggled to adapt to the VCARB 02. Fortunately, he received assistance from current Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies: ‘He understands drivers very well’.
For a brief moment, Liam Lawson could call himself a Red Bull driver, but that was over after the second race weekend of 2025. “The timing wasn’t the best, the car required a completely different approach, and I had to adapt again,” Lawson tells Automoto about his return to Racing Bulls. “Since then, we’ve also made a few changes to make me feel more comfortable.”
According to Lawson, his struggles were mainly due to issues that are usually sorted out before the start of the season, such as settings, personal preferences, and the feel of the car. “The ideal scenario, of course, is to sort all this out before the start of the season,” he explains. “But now I had to do all that during the race weekends – and that’s far from ideal.”
Mekies as a Pillar of Support
Lawson speaks highly of former Racing Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies, who personally guided him from the moment he returned to the team. “Laurent was a great support, right from the first phone call to prepare me for Japan,” says Lawson. “He was fantastic for me. Laurent understands drivers very well and builds a personal relationship with us. He genuinely cares about what we’re going through, even on a personal level. He sees everything and takes the time to understand and help us.”
After a difficult period, Lawson seems to be finding his rhythm. Whether it’s enough to secure his place in Formula 1 for 2026 depends on his performance in the remaining races – and on the plans within the Red Bull organization.
