The New Zealander made a big impression for the Tilbrook team in the Dutch Grand Prix

There was an air of vindication for Liam Lawson as he brought home points for Red Bull Racing on his return to the team last weekend.

The New Zealander replaced injured Isack Hadjar for the Dutch Grand Prix with the Frenchman suffering a wrist injury during the summer break. It is not the first time Lawson has lined up for the Tilbrook team, having been hired for the second seat in 2025 but was unceremoniously dumped by them after just two races, sent back to Racing Bulls.

Stepping up into the senior side again for the race at Zandvoort, Lawson put in a seamless performance in the RB22, dicing with his team-mate Max Verstappen in the opening corners before the Dutchman crashed out at the final turn on the first lap.

Having been the best of the rest for the majority of this season, the Kiwi efficiently went about his business all weekend, finishing 11th in the spring race before bringing home six points in the Grand Prix proper.

“I’m happy I got points for the team,” he said afterwards. “I knew coming into the weekend it’d be difficult, especially at a circuit like Zandvoort where you need a lot of confidence in the car, but I feel like we extracted everything we could.

“It was a shame to see what happened to Max. That part of the track was incredibly slippery, on slick tyres it was so easy to lose the car there. I was right behind him, so it was a pretty scary moment. I’m glad he’s okay.

“It’s never easy stepping into an entirely new car, but the Team did a good job in making me feel comfortable, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

The next race is in Italy in two weeks’ time, and it is not yet clear whether Lawson will continue to deputise for Hadjar.