Liam Lawson says he is “grateful” for the chance to make a surprise comeback with Red Bull at this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, but he knows the task ahead will be far from easy. The New Zealander was called up at short notice to replace Isack Hadjar, who injured his wrist, just two weeks after the summer break.
Lawson had been preparing for a routine pre-race simulation with Racing Bulls at the team's base in England on Monday when everything changed within hours. A phone call from team principal Alan Permane revealed that Hadjar was injured and Lawson would be flying to Zandvoort. “So, then my week changed pretty quickly,” he told Motorsport.com.
Lawson's return to Red Bull is deeply circular. It was at this very circuit, in 2023, that he made his F1 debut with Red Bull's junior squad after Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand. Back then, Lawson impressed and eventually earned a full-time seat at Racing Bulls in 2024, then was promoted to Red Bull Racing to replace Sergio Perez. However, the first two rounds of 2025 turned into a nightmare. He struggled with the notoriously difficult RB21 and was abruptly demoted back to Racing Bulls, replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.
That moment sparked heavy criticism as Lawson appeared to have jumped the queue ahead of Tsunoda. Now, after 18 months of stability at Racing Bulls and a team environment described as healthier under Laurent Mekies, Lawson feels more prepared. “Everything's really different [at Red Bull], to be honest,” he said. “For me, I know I'm coming in for this weekend, and in a unique situation to try and maximise one weekend. It's very different to being in your own car, being in your own team.”
But the challenge at Zandvoort is immense. The RB22 is not the team's finest work, the sprint weekend format limits track time, and wet conditions are expected to test the latest generation of F1 cars for the first time together in heavy rain. Lawson acknowledged, “It's for sure going to be interesting. Obviously it's a tough track, the weather too.”
Although he is only filling in for one race, Lawson is determined to prove he has learned plenty since leaving Red Bull. “I've had a lot of races since then in Formula 1 as well, so I've learned a huge amount. I'd like to try and take as much of that into this weekend as I can,” he said. All eyes will be on how Lawson conquers the ‘haunted house’ that once brought him down.
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