Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, has admitted that the team may have "made a mistake" in their handling of Liam Lawson's promotion and subsequent demotion after just two races in the 2025 Formula 1 season. Lawson, who had been given the seat alongside Max Verstappen after Sergio Perez's exit, was dropped following disappointing performances in Australia and China. He has now been sent back to Red Bull's junior team, Racing Bulls, in a swap with Japan's Yuki Tsunoda. Speaking about the decision, Marko acknowledged that the team's approach might not have been ideal. "His performance was unfortunately not good enough, and that comes from self-confidence," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We were worried that his confidence was so damaged that he couldn't bring his normal performance."