F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Lawrence Barretto
Almost a year on from his Red Bull demotion, Liam Lawson has rebuilt himself — and his performance in China was proof of that.
Lawson’s Formula 1 career may be just 37 Grands Prix old, but it’s already had plenty of twists. The New Zealander earned an unexpected shot with AlphaTauri when Daniel Ricciardo injured his hand at Zandvoort in 2023 and impressed during a five-race stint that peaked with his first F1 points, a ninth place in Singapore.
He missed out on a seat for 2024 but stayed ready. When Ricciardo again needed replacing, Lawson was drafted in from Austin until the end of the season and made an immediate impact by scoring in his first race back.
His China showing underlined how far he’s come since the Red Bull demotion — demonstrating maturity, pace and the resilience required to turn a rocky start into momentum for his career.