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New Zealand Formula One driver Liam Lawson is disappointed by Red Bull's decision to move him to the junior team after just two races with the senior team. Speaking in Tokyo ahead of the upcoming Japanese race weekend, Lawson admitted he was caught off guard by his team's decision.
"It was a shock to me, to be honest. I didn't think the talks would go that way, so it was a big surprise," an F1 contender told Sky Sports.
The young driver was set to replace Segi Perez this season, who was sacked, but he was almost instantly transferred to Racing Bulls without much opportunity to prove himself. Red Bull has been the most successful crew in recent years, and world champion and world's best driver Max Verstappen will drive with a new partner, Yuki Tsunoda, in the future.
Lawson had a difficult start to the season, finishing 18th in qualifying in Australia and not finishing the race due to an accident. In China, he finished last in qualifying for the sprint and main competition, finishing 14th and 12th, respectively. Now, there is no chance for repair, at least not in the relative future, even though he is presented as a future big name in the world of F1.
The New Zealander confirmed that he would have liked to have had more opportunities to show his full potential and complained to SKY Sports that the start was too difficult, especially the sprint race in China.
The decision on his fate was made by Red Bull boss Christian Horner and team advisor Helmut Marko. Horner admitted that they expected too much from the young driver in a short period, and he justified the decision by saying that sometimes you just have to be cruel.
He also pointed out that the team had to work on improving the car and that the experience Tsunoda brings is key to the team's progress.
"We saw in Australia and China that this situation had a negative psychological impact on Lawson. We could have kept him, but we just didn't have enough time to give him the opportunity he deserved," Horner added.
Formula 1 continues this weekend in Japan, with the race scheduled for Sunday.
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