Szafnauer certain that Lawson's Red Bull demotion isn't as 'bleak' as it seems

Otmar Szafnauer has disagreed with claims that Liam Lawson has been demoted by Red Bull, emphasizing that his F1 future remains bright.

Speaking on the Team Principal Podcast, Szafnauer highlighted that many drivers never even get an F1 opportunity, making Lawson's situation far from a setback. His stance aligns with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, who also downplayed concerns over Lawson’s career trajectory. Could the New Zealander still have a future at Red Bull?

A Red Bull return for Lawson?

"So although it looks like it's a demotion going from Red Bull to Racing Bulls, it's still a Formula 1 drive. Liam can still, at Racing Bulls, hone his skills. He can still get used to what it's like driving in Formula 1. He can still perform well at Racing Bulls - and then in the future, you never know, maybe get promoted back up," The former Racing Point and Alpine team boss explained.

Szafnauer continued: "So although it looks bleak, it's not for Liam. I’m sure that Christian, Helmut, and the decision makers are now thinking: ‘What driver pairing is best for us to maximise our ability to win or finish as high as we can the constructors' championship.

"What you're trying to do is forecast the future, with all the information you have. Then when you're in that future and that future becomes the present, you can look back and say, 'Maybe we didn’t make the right decision'.”

Did Red Bull make the right choice?

Red Bull has been clear that it stands by its decision to swap drivers. When asked if he agreed, Szafnauer stated: "It's better to stand up, raise your hand and say, 'Look, we tried, maybe this wasn't the best decision for us and therefore we're going to change it'. That's better than sticking with your wrong decision for a long time, and then realising it wasn't the right decision and changing."

Lawson will be in action for Racing Bulls this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix, whilst Yuki Tsunoda gears up for his first weekend as a Red Bull driver.

This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel

Read also

Lawson looking forward to show what he is capable of: 'This is a big opportunity for me'

Red Bull looks for answers according to Marko: ‘Make RB21 easier to drive’