Christian Horner, Red Bull`s team boss, has increased speculation that Liam Lawson might lose his Red Bull seat after only two races. He didn`t confirm that the New Zealander would be driving for the team at the upcoming race in Japan.
Lawson has had a difficult start with Red Bull, failing to advance beyond the first qualifying stage in all three sessions and showing slower race pace compared to his teammate Max Verstappen.
Red Bull promoted Lawson from their junior team, Racing Bulls, after just 11 Grand Prix starts across 2023 and 2024. They chose the 23-year-old over Yuki Tsunoda, his more experienced former teammate.
Reports suggest that Red Bull is thinking about replacing Lawson with Tsunoda as early as the Japanese Grand Prix, which is scheduled for April 4-6 in Suzuka.
When questioned about this in a press conference after the race, Horner chose not to deny the rumors.
Horner stated that paddock speculation is constant. He added that they would review the information and analyze the situation.
Horner mentioned that there would always be rumors in Formula 1. He reiterated that they had just finished the race and would take the data to examine it thoroughly.
When asked about Helmut Marko`s (Red Bull advisor) claims of a meeting to discuss Lawson`s position, Horner said that nothing specific had been planned.
After Lawson`s poor qualifying performance on Saturday, where he struggled with tire temperature, Red Bull altered his car`s setup. This broke parc ferme rules, forcing him to start from the pit lane.
Horner commented that Liam has had a challenging couple of races and a tough weekend. He explained they changed the car setup significantly after taking it out of parc ferme to gather data, managing to collect 56 laps of useful information. They will assess this data and support Lawson as best as possible.
Horner noted that Lawson`s confidence with the car is currently low, which led to the significant setup changes to try and find a more confidence-inspiring configuration.
“I feel sorry for Lawson”
While Horner was careful in his statements, some of his comments about Lawson`s struggles indicated significant concern within the team.
Horner said that Liam still has potential that is not being realized at the moment. He believes Lawson`s problem is having had a couple of very tough weekends, with media attention adding pressure.
He acknowledged the growing pressure in Formula 1 and expressed sympathy for Lawson, recognizing the current difficulty for him.
Horner emphasized their duty to support the young driver and their commitment to doing their best for him.
Horner maintained that Lawson is still a capable driver, but for some reason, he is not currently performing to that level.
The first two races were at tracks Lawson hadn`t raced at before, but Horner dismissed this as a primary reason for his difficulties.
He stated that F1 drivers usually adapt quickly to new tracks. He concluded that they would continue to evaluate the situation, analyze the data, and decide on the best course of action.
Tsunoda Possibly in Line for Red Bull Seat?
Tsunoda has openly voiced his disappointment at not being promoted to Red Bull but has performed well early in the season.
Despite some bad luck preventing points in the initial races, Tsunoda has qualified well and achieved a strong sixth place in the Shanghai Sprint.
Asked about Tsunoda`s performance, Horner acknowledged Yuki`s experience and good job. He noted Tsunoda`s bad luck in the race with strategy and a front-wing issue, but praised his performance the previous weekend.
Tsunoda tested Verstappen`s championship-winning RB20 car last year in Abu Dhabi. However, reports indicated that Red Bull had already decided to replace Sergio Perez with Lawson.
Horner was asked if Tsunoda`s test performance could be more insightful than Lawson`s current form in assessing who would better handle the Red Bull car.
He responded that they analyze all available information and data from the car`s sensors. He mentioned Tsunoda`s good test performance as useful data but stressed the importance of considering the broader picture.
Formula 1 is heading to the Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on April 4-6.
Marcus Prine