Liam Lawson has admitted he was shocked to study he was being demoted by Purple Bull simply two races into the 2025 season.
The Kiwi driver turned the most recent sufferer of the grid’s ruthless motion as group principal Christian Horner confirmed Lawson could be demoted from the senior group.
The 23-year-old will stay on the grid with Purple Bull’s second group Racing Bulls, the group he began his F1 profession with, whereas Yuki Tsunoda will companion with Max Verstappen.
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Lawson mentioned the choice was “not one thing that I noticed coming” so rapidly.
“It was positively a shock, truthfully,” he advised Sky Sports activities.
“The discussions we had been having weren’t actually leaning on this course, so it was positively not one thing that I anticipated.”
Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Oracle Purple Bull Racing walks in parc ferme throughout the F1 Grand Prix of China. Getty
The swap comes at a beneficial time for Tsunoda as he’ll don the Purple Bull uniform for the primary time at his dwelling race in Japan.
Tsunoda was initially neglected for the seat as Horner favoured Lawson to be the substitute for Sergio Perez, who left the group on the finish of 2024.
However a rocky begin to the season noticed Lawson fail to complete on the Australian Grand Prix earlier than he missed a chance to attain factors in China, crossing in nineteenth.
These outcomes triggered a troublesome begin to Purple Bull’s hopes of a constructors’ championship as McLaren gained a powerful early lead.
Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar of Visa Money App Racing Bulls with Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen Oracle Purple Bull Racing. Getty Photos for Oracle Purple Bull
Nonetheless, given he has solely featured on the grid 11 instances, Lawson felt he would have been allowed extra time to showcase his skills.
“Clearly, I might have liked extra time,” mentioned Lawson.
“We had a rocky testing. We had a rocky first weekend in Melbourne with observe. After which clearly China was a dash.
“However it isn’t my resolution, so I am right here to take advantage of this one.”
Lawson will characteristic for the primary time this season within the Racing Bull when he completes the primary observe session of the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.
