Liam Lawson rebuilt his Formula 1 prospects after a shock demotion from Red Bull early in 2025, steadying himself at Racing Bulls and becoming a regular points scorer. He joins a long list of drivers who faced public setbacks and came back stronger. Seven notable recoveries are below.
Pierre Gasly — Promoted to Red Bull in 2019, Gasly struggled to match Max Verstappen and was dropped back to Toro Rosso the same season. Rather than fade, he produced a string of strong results later in 2019, scored his first podium with a memorable P2 in Brazil and converted that momentum into an emotional first win at Monza in 2020. He established himself as a team leader at AlphaTauri and later moved to Alpine, where he continued to be a central figure.
Max Verstappen — Even elite drivers endure rough patches. Verstappen’s 2018 campaign started badly, marked by mistakes and a few high-profile incidents that prompted questions over his consistency. He reassessed mid-season and returned to deliver multiple podiums and race victories, climbing to fourth in the standings and using that recovery as a platform for his later dominance.
Jenson Button — After a promising debut with Williams in 2000, Button endured two tough years at Benetton in an uncompetitive car while facing public criticism. His move to BAR in 2003 sparked improvement, and 2004 became a breakthrough year with his first podium and a string of strong finishes. Button later won the 2009 World Championship with Brawn GP and was runner-up with McLaren in 2011.
Valtteri Bottas — Following an encouraging start at Mercedes, Bottas suffered a difficult 2018 season: no wins, a drop to fifth in the championship and a loss of enjoyment in racing that made him consider quitting. He chose to continue, came back refreshed in 2019 with a dominant opening win in Australia and went on to score four victories and his best statistical season, finishing second overall.
Alex Albon — Thrust into a senior Red Bull seat in 2019, Albon showed promise but fell behind Verstappen and was replaced for 2021. He stayed with Red Bull as reserve driver, rebuilt his confidence and form, and returned to the grid with Williams in 2022. There he outperformed expectations, established himself as a team leader and earned a multi-year deal after consistent performances.
Damon Hill — A late starter to F1, Hill made his debut at 31 and gradually climbed the grid with Williams. After criticism for not beating Michael Schumacher early in the mid-1990s, he regrouped and lifted his performance to win the 1996 World Championship, collecting eight wins. Even after being dropped by Williams in 1997 he continued to compete and produced a memorable final victory at Spa in difficult conditions.
Liam Lawson — Promoted to Red Bull in 2025 after substitute appearances, Lawson’s step up quickly faltered with crashes, Q1 exits and non-scoring weekends. Reassigned to Racing Bulls mid-season, he used the reset to adapt, regain confidence and deliver consistent points finishes — including P6 in Austria and P5 in Azerbaijan — and carried that form into 2026, scoring regularly and showing clear progress.
These cases show that high-pressure setbacks can precede strong rebounds: drivers who reassess, rebuild confidence and find the right environment often return to competitive form. A version of this feature first appeared in August 2024.