"I hadn't even left the plane yet": Lawson reacts to last-minute call to Red Bull in Zandvoort

Credit: Formula One

Just as we entered the first race weekend after the summer break, huge news shook the paddock when it was announced that Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar had sustained a wrist injury, writing him out of the Dutch Grand Prix. Liam Lawson was immediately announced as Hadjar's stand-in, while former Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda will be taking up the Kiwi driver's spot at Racing Bulls for the weekend.

Lawson is set to join Max Verstappen for the final running of the Dutch Grand Prix, the home favourite being the headline of another Red Bull story this weekend after extending his contract with the Milton Keynes outfit until 2030.

Lawson's call-up marks the first ever time in Red Bull's storied history that they have taken back a former driver of their team in any format or in any instance to race through a weekend. For other drivers who have been demoted by Red Bull, this opportunity to return to their driver lineup has never once come.

Naturally for Lawson, this round will be a make or break weekend — one final chance to prove his mettle after being harshly relegated to the junior team early last year.

Speaking of the moment he found out that he will be jumping back into the Red Bull race suit, Lawson remarked: "I just landed on Monday from the break, being on holiday. I had a call, literally I hadn't even left the plane yet and I was speaking to Alan [Permane], and basically they let me know.

"The week quickly changed from what it was going to be to Red Bull prep. It's going to be challenging – there are obviously differences between the cars, but I'll try and learn as much as I can as quickly as I can tomorrow."

Credit: Formula One

Hopping over from a purple patch with Racing Bulls, scoring points on eight occasions with five of those being consecutive weekends, Lawson will be eager to keep the momentum going but remains cautiously optimistic given the challenge of adapting to a new car on such short-notice.

“We've had quite a good season so far this year," he noted. "For me, I'm just focused on trying to continue that this weekend, although it's in a different car. That's what I'm focused on."

Reflecting on his approach to the weekend and preparations going into a career-defining round, the New Zealander stated: "It’s a sprint weekend, so it's going to be a quick learning process tomorrow. But that's what we're focused on, that’s what we tried to do yesterday in the simulator. If we can try and speed up that learning process as much as possible, then that would help our weekend.

"As long as for me I've done all the preparation I can, which I feel like I have, except in the fact it's going to be tough for sure.

"Outside of that, I'm going to try and enjoy it as well. It's a track I've enjoyed racing at in the past, obviously it's the last time we're here as well. I’m going to try and enjoy the weekend, but there are definitely going to be challenges that we face."

The Kiwi driver remained humble of his call-up to Red Bull after being replaced with Tsunoda last year in a heavily scrutinised driver swap after just two rounds into the season.

Thinking back to that moment and this weekend's return to his former garage, Lawson shared: "Honestly, it feels like a long time ago and it's such a different circumstance now as well, obviously now being one week. I haven't really looked at it like [a victory after being replaced in 2025]. For me we've had a really good year so far, and obviously I'm grateful to have been chosen for something like this.

“But I'm really focused on trying to get something out of the weekend. It would be great to do that and have a good weekend, but I'm sure it's going to be challenging.”

For Lawson, a successful run throughout this weekend won't immediately translate to a permanent seat at the top team — it will, however, guarantee added job security at Racing Bulls and within Red Bull's operations as a whole.

After being kicked to the curb in 2025, a return to the team that once turned him away after building himself back up with consistent results in Racing Bulls still remains a golden opportunity to prove his worth.

With two points-scoring sessions on the table in Zandvoort, Lawson will be eager to impress the Red Bull camp and make his brief return with the team a much sweeter affair this time around.