Liam Lawson called his abrupt demotion from his boyhood dream drive at Red Bull "tough" in his first social media post since the news was confirmed.
On Thursday, Red Bull announced that the Kiwi driver would make way for Yuki Tsunoda, starting from the Japanese Grand Prix.
Lawson, promoted after just 11 F1 races with the junior team, struggled alongside Max Verstappen and qualified last for both the sprint and the race in China. Red Bull described the switch as a "purely sporting decision," citing Tsunoda's four years of F1 experience as crucial in helping troubleshoot the RB21 car.
Lawson shared a short message reflecting on the news, accompanied by childhood photos-including a drawing labeled "Liam" and "F1 driver."
The caption read: "Being a @redbullracing driver has been my dream since I was a kid, it's what I've worked towards my whole life. It's tough, but im grateful for everything that's brought me to this point. To every one of you who's stood by me, thank you for all the support it means the world.
"Thank you @visacashapprb for the warm welcome, I'm excited and ready to go to work at one of my favourite places".
Red Bull's announcement said the team has "a duty of care to protect and develop Liam", saying his F1 development was better served by being moved back to the junior team.
Out of every driver to have driven for the junior team and then get promoted, Lawson had done the fewest races (11) of any.
