Liam Lawson opens up on "toxic" online abuse after deleting social media

Liam Lawson has revealed that he has deleted social media while opening up about online hate.

The New Zealander has faced his fair share of online scrutiny, especially after being demoted to Racing Bulls after just two race weekends with Red Bull at the start of 2025. 

The 24-year-old driver confirmed during an appearance on the Gypsy Tales Podcast that the online hate led him to delete his social media channels, a decision he has not regretted since.

"It's so much better. So, so much better," the Racing Bulls driver explained. "It can be such a toxic place. I feel for people. I also left school when I was young, but I feel like I scraped through the age where social media was big. In New Zealand at least, Facebook was probably the main one. Instagram was pretty new."

He added: "I feel like yeah, [New Zealand is] really behind in some ways. So good because now bullying in school is something that you can't escape when you go home because of social media."

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images

Addressing hateful online message specifically, he continued: "99% of the time, what people would say online, [they] would never have the balls to say to somebody's face. And it's the same in our sport when we're dealing with it.

"Obviously, I don't read it now, but it's that kind of thing. The amount of negativity around drivers or teams that fans don't like and just the amount of negative comments that get put out there and crazy things that are being said.

"You would never even say that in person, let alone have the balls to go up to somebody to do that, but to say some of the crazy things that these guys come up with, it's way too easy, you know."