Liam Lawson has addressed that he never contemplated whether a return to Red Bull was a potential proposition as soon as the next Formula 1 season during 2025.
Lawson began the recent campaign in Red Bull’s senior team alongside Max Verstappen, having been selected over Yuki Tsunoda to replace the ousted Sergio Perez.
However, a nightmare opening two weekends prompted Red Bull to conduct a change prior to the Japanese Grand Prix, with Lawson and Tsunoda exchanging drives.
Despite continuing to endure a lean spell upon his return to Racing Bulls, the New Zealander got back on track and did enough to secure a place on the grid for 2026.
Lawson will continue with the Faenza-based side alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad, while his now former team-mate, Isack Hadjar, will partner Verstappen at Red Bull.
But while his ultimate ambition remains unwavering, Lawson has insisted that a possible return to the Red Bull seat he vacated hasn’t been on his mind at any stage.
“It’s not, honestly, something I’ve really thought about this year, especially with how when I came back, it was a very tricky few races,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think, for the first part of this year, honestly, I was focusing on finding my feet again and getting used to this car.
“I’d missed the first part of the pre-season with the development with where the car was going.
“We actually made some changes to the car to make it a bit more comfortable for me during the season. So it’s honestly not something I’ve really thought about.”
Lawson denies added advantage over Lindblad
With an extensive overhaul to the technical rules on the horizon, Lawson has denied that his extra experience will give him a great advantage over his new team-mate.
“Yes, but at the same time, it is going to be a new car for me, too,” he countered.
“It is great to have a year [of experience], and I think I learned a lot from this year, but the main thing for me is just being as ready as possible for next year.
“Taking all of the learnings from this year will be very important next year.
“I expect the team to probably lean on me a little bit, but at the same time, I’ve done one season.
“And although you don’t learn a huge amount in one season of F1, what I hope is that there will be a lot of years to learn as well.”
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