Liam Lawson has detailed the timeline of occasions which led to him discovering out about his demotion from the Pink Bull F1 staff.
Final week Pink Bull ruthlessly determined to axe Lawson simply two races into his stint with the primary staff following a nightmare pair of weekends in Australia and China.
The 23-year-old Kiwi has been despatched again to Pink Bull’s sister squad Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda transferring within the different path to earn what he feels is a long-awaited promotion having initially been missed for 2025.
Lawson has revealed he had no thought about Pink Bull’s determination till he obtained an “surprising” telephone name from staff principal Christian Horner following the Chinese language Grand Prix weekend.
“I had no thought in China. It was one thing that was determined, I assume the Monday or Tuesday afterwards. I came upon after China. I feel for all of us it was in all probability extra surprising. But it surely was after the weekend,” he mentioned forward of the Japanese Grand Prix.
“It was extra of a finished deal, I might say it was. I left China, beginning preparations for Japan and principally I had a telephone name saying that this was what was going to occur.”
Lawson added: “It’s possibly one thing I wasn’t anticipating so early however one thing that clearly is just not my determination. For me it is about benefiting from this chance now and nonetheless being in Method 1, I nonetheless have that.
“I feel I used to be extra shocked. It is very early within the season and I might say I hoped to go to a monitor that I might raced earlier than and have a clear weekend to have an opportunity like that.
“However the determination clearly was made after I was informed. So, though it was robust to listen to, I had one or two days to consider it.”
Does Liam Lawson see a method again to Pink Bull?
Lawson twice batted off questions on whether or not he intends to return to Pink Bull sooner or later, insisting he’s as an alternative centered on the short-term and proving he’s deserving of his place in F1.
“I feel we all know how Method 1 is and the way rapidly issues change. I imply, if I look again a 12 months in the past, I had no seat. I used to be right here a 12 months in the past, watching and wishing I used to be racing,” he defined.
“Then I had the chance to race on the finish of final 12 months and the chance then to go to Pink Bull Racing. So, lots has occurred in 12 months. So, for me, the primary factor is being in a automobile, and I’ve the chance to show I belong right here and that is what I will attempt to do.
“By way of the place my future is. I do not know and, for me, the one method I can management that’s by driving quick.
“I assume that [a Red Bull return] is a part of the dialog. I assume in a method that is nice, however clearly I used to be already there beginning the season and was centered on proving myself within the staff at that time.
“So, look, no matter occurs down the road is kind of out of my management. What I can management is the driving stuff to show that. So, yeah, the place the longer term goes, truthfully, at this level, I am probably not eager about it an excessive amount of.”
And Lawson careworn the choice has not affected his confidence.
“I feel confidence-wise, it doesn’t change lots,” he mentioned. “All of us have sufficient self-belief to be right here, to make it to Method 1 and to be within the sport. When you don’t have that self-belief, I feel, yeah, it makes it very, very tough. So I feel all of us have that naturally.
“It doesn’t actually change how I really feel about myself. I feel what it’s doing for me, the most effective alternative I had was with Pink Bull Racing, and that’s the place we’re all working in the direction of. That’s what I used to be working in the direction of since becoming a member of the junior program as a 16-year-old.
“So clearly for me, I really feel like I might have preferred to make that chance work, and that was in my finest curiosity. However clearly the Christian and the staff can have their opinions on what’s finest, and that’s as much as them to determine.”
