Ex-Red Bull boss says Lawson's promotion made him 'uncomfortable'
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner reflects on the controversial promotion of driver Liam Lawson in his memoir. Horner expresses discomfort with the decision, citing Lawson's lack of experience and internal power struggles within the team.
Why it matters
It provides insight into the high-pressure management dynamics and internal politics of Formula 1 teams.
Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner says Kiwi driver Liam Lawson should never have been promoted to the Formula 1 outfit's senior team, and the decision made him "uncomfortable". Lawson <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/06/23/lawson-details-online-abuse-crazy-justification-for-red-bull-axing/">lasted just two races with Red Bull</a> at the start of the 2025 season before being demoted back to the junior Racing Bulls team. Lawson failed to score points in both races and never had a pre-season or a proper season start in F1, with just 11 Grand Prix starts to his name. Horner, Red Bull's ex-team principal and CEO, reflected on Lawson's tumultuous start to F1 life in his new memoir, admitting the decision to promote the New Zealander made him "uncomfortable". The comments were published by Racing News 365, who had read the book. He said Lawson's promotion was championed by former motorsport advisor and driver development boss Helmut Marko. "I felt uncomfortable," Horner wrote.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in