Oscar Piastri has insisted the dire results that triggered Red Bull to demote Liam Lawson two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season are “not a reflection of his talent”.
Lawson’s spell with Red Bull’s senior team proved to be short-lived as it was announced last week that he was returning to Racing Bulls in a switch with Yuki Tsunoda.
The Kiwi had been picked over Tsunoda to replace the dropped Sergio Perez, but a dismal beginning to the campaign has prompted Red Bull to make another change.
Lawson struggled to gel with Red Bull’s troublesome RB21, culminating in successive Q1 eliminations that resigned him to going scoreless in the opening two events.
Piastri, who competed against Lawson in both Formula 2 and 3 in the past, is adamant that Lawson is a better driver than he was made to look in his time at Red Bull.
Asked to give his thoughts on Red Bull’s decision, Lawson told media including Motorsport Week at Suzuka: “I mean it’s not really my place to comment.
“I think what we’ve seen from Liam in the first two races is not a reflection of his talent.
“I’ve raced Liam for a number of years and I think he’s an incredibly competitive driver.
“I don’t think the results he showed in the first two rounds are indicative of what he’s capable of. And I’ll leave it at that.”
The pressure Lawson had at Red Bull
Piastri admitted that being placed in the deep end with a car even Max Verstappen has complained about added to the daunting test that awaited Lawson at Red Bull.
Pressed on whether he believes the challenges that drivers have to tackle are underestimated, the Australian answered: “I would say yes. I think it’s not easy.
“And I think also as drivers coming into the sport it’s very easy to be naive about the challenge ahead of you.
“I think in some ways that’s a good thing, in some ways that’s not a good thing.
“But I think yes, also coming in at the front of the grid is a different challenge to being further towards the back.
“I think for Liam, especially going up a four-time World Champion in a car that looks from the outside pretty tough to handle, it certainly adds another element I’m sure.
“I think for me when I joined the team [McLaren in 2023] we were not really a front-running team at that point.
“But I would imagine it definitely adds another element of pressure.”
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