“It’s a Lawson problem,” Guenther Steiner gives no sympathy to Liam Lawson over Red Bull demotion

Guenther Steiner did not hold back from firing shots at Liam Lawson for his disappointing end to Red Bull career.

“It’s a Lawson problem,” Guenther Steiner gives no sympathy to Liam Lawson over Red Bull demotion

Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, Guenther Steiner (via IMAGO)

Liam Lawson is officially out of Red Bull as he failed to score any impressive results over two race weekends in 2025. Lawson suffered from a P20 start for both races before being snubbed from the team early on the season. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda has now got the highly coveted seat to Red Bull and is set to race with Max Verstappen at the Japanese GP. Upon the team’s recent tumultuous state, Guenther Steiner has berated the Kiwi’s performances ahead of the demotion.

Liam Lawson‘s demotion to Red Bull’s junior team VCARB wasn’t very surprising due to the massive rumors behind the status quo. Yuki Tsunoda kept up with performances and proved his worth to deserve the promotion. Moreover, Lawson’s results against Max Verstappen were underwhelming, especially as Verstappen managed podium finishes in a much weaker chassis. Hence, the Kiwi’s departure from Milton Keynes was a matter of when not if.

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Guenther Steiner did not hold back from criticizing Liam Lawson for his failed stint with Red Bull. The Italian-American reckoned that the entire fiasco was ultimately Lawson’s fault. The 59-year-old insisted that the Kiwi was over half a second slower than Max Verstappen proving that he was way behind the leading pack on the grid.

I think it’s a Liam Lawson problem. If you’re half a second slower than your team-mate, you’re already a lot slower. 

Guenther Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast

Lawson trailed Verstappen with a gap of over a second during his two outings with Red Bull. Steiner recalled that the 23-year-old performed much better when he was RB in the previous two years. However, as soon as the Kiwi moved to the parent team, he suffered a disappointing fate. Now, the 59-year-old expects much better performances from Lawson as he prepares to perform well at RB alongside rookie Isack Hadjar.

But over a second, it’s a difference, and I don’t know what it is, because Lawson in RB, when they put him in there, he did a good job, a respectable job. So, no issue there. But going to Red Bull, he just cannot do it. 

Guenther Steiner added

Guenther Steiner asserts Liam Lawson’s Red Bull stint ‘full of pressure’

Red Bull’s RB21 chassis for the 2025 season remains inferior compared to its rivals at the front. Even Max Verstappen struggled to stay ahead due to the car’s lack of pace. As such, Liam Lawson couldn’t handle the challenges as well as the Dutchman, leading to an early end to his Red Bull seat. Guenther Steiner noted that racing for the Austrian constructor, especially alongside the reigning world champion, put immense pressure on any driver.

Liam Lawson and Christian Horner (via Red Bull)
Liam Lawson and Christian Horner (via Red Bull)

Guenther Steiner guessed that Liam Lawson might have put too much pressure on himself to perform well at Red Bull. This in turn caused him to not focus properly on handling the car over the sessions and ultimately fall desperately behind the leading pack. Steiner believed that Lawson was subjected to a lot of pressure at Milton Keynes, more so against Verstappen. Hence, this is the reason behind the 23-year-old being snubbed from the parent team so prematurely.

Maybe he puts too much pressure on himself? Maybe that’s what it is. It’s just too much pressure.

Guenther Steiner noted

Guenther Steiner claims Liam Lawson needed ‘one final chance’ at the Japanese GP

Liam Lawson had to run the season-opener in Australia under very treacherous conditions. The rain-laden circuit of Melbourne caused even highly experienced drivers like Fernando Alonso to crash out on the track. Subsequently, Lawson implemented multiple ambitious changes to his car in the Chinese GP which caused him to start from the pit-lane, further declining his chances of moving up the pecking order.

Liam Lawson (via Red Bull)
Liam Lawson (via Red Bull)

Guenther Steiner pointed out that Lawson had experience of driving over the Suzuka circuit in the past. As such, the 23-year-old deserved one final shot with Red Bull in Japan before swapping him with Tsunoda. Steiner highlighted that the Kiwi put forth some impressive results at the Japanese circuit while racing in the junior category, Super Formula. However, as depicted by the events, he might be out of contention for returning to Red Bull ever in the coming future.

I would say, [give] Lawson Japan, because now it’s like, ‘Oh, he never raced in Australia. He never raced in China,’ But let him go to Japan. He knows the race track, at least, you know how good he is there. There is not that excuse anymore, or that unknown. He knows Suzuka, he drove there in Super Formula, which are very fast cars.

Guenther Steiner explained

Yuki Tsunoda now has the massive task of coming up with impressive performances from the very get-go. Tsunoda has achieved a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Red Bull and must perform well now. The Japanese driver might suffer a similar fate as Liam Lawson if he fails to perform well. Moreover, the 24-year-old is joining Milton Keynes when the challenger remains highly inconsistent in performances. Hence, time will tell about how he fares against the hopes banked on him by the team.