The 2026 Dutch GP was a decisive opportunity for Liam Lawson at Red Bull. According to commentator Will Buxton, a below-par performance in his improvised return to the team led by Max Verstappen could have ended the New Zealander’s career in Formula 1.
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Lawson had been released by Red Bull after just two race weekends in 2025, being moved to Racing Bulls. The new chance in the main team came after Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during this year’s summer break and missed the Zandvoort round. Lawson took over his car alongside Verstappen, while Yuki Tsunoda took his place at Racing Bulls.
“I think you can’t underestimate or downplay the pressure that was on him, and that he put on himself, returning to a team where he had arrived, tried everything, but was fired after two races,” Buxton explained. “If he had gone there and qualified behind everyone and disappeared the whole weekend, that would basically be the end of his career.”
Lawson’s response came on track. He qualified eighth, one position behind Verstappen, and finished the GP seventh, after the Dutchman crashed on the first lap.
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“So, to go there and drive the way he did, race the way he raced, qualify the way he qualified, I was very happy for him,” he continued. “His radio message after the race was very beautiful and there was a lot of honesty in it. It was a cathartic weekend to leave all that horrible experience behind and move forward, showing the world and showing Red Bull: ‘Look what you could have had.’ It was nice,” Buxton concluded.
Despite the good performance on the Dutch track, Lawson’s future within the team’s structure remains open, as Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov, Red Bull’s junior driver, has been standing out in Formula 2.
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