In the wake of a challenging kick-off to the 2025 Formula 1 season, Liam Lawson’s rocky start with Red Bull stirs a whirlwind of tough questions for the energy-drink-turned-racing-team. The once-promising driver, who shined during his stint at Racing Bulls last year, now faces the possibility of his burgeoning career being doused by the notorious RB21.
Lawson’s maiden voyage with Red Bull, down under in Australia, was marred by an early Q1 exit, a late-game DNF, and a second round in China that proved even more harrowing. Finishing last in both Shanghai Sprint weekend qualifying sessions, Lawson was left bewildered and scoreless. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after Saturday’s Grand Prix qualifying session in China, Lawson admitted, “I think the window’s really small; I mean that’s known, but honestly, it’s not an excuse.” On being probed about the remedy, he confessed, “I think it’s just time; unfortunately, I don’t really have it.”
The New Zealander’s plight has sparked whispers of a premature demotion ahead of Round 3 in Japan, with Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda being touted as his possible successor. Tsunoda remains steadfast in his belief that the Red Bull car holds the edge in speed, but the truth is that the Milton Keynes outfit’s RB21 is but the latest in a string of infamously troublesome F1 machines.
Max Verstappen, in an interview with Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, reflected on the disparity between the performances of the two drivers at different teams. He suggested that the Racing Bulls car is easier to handle, and if Lawson were to switch, his speed could potentially improve. This assertion is corroborated by the impressive performances of Tsunoda and rookie Isack Hadjar, both of whom qualified in the top-10 last Saturday, with only strategic decisions preventing a double-points scoring effort in the race.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner acknowledged Verstappen’s observations and concurred that the Racing Bull vehicle is more stable and easier to adapt to, yet its pace difference is evident in longer stints.
Speculation now looms over the implications of a possible Lawson-Tsunoda swap. Could Tsunoda fall prey to the same issues that have plagued Lawson at Red Bull? Conversely, would Lawson thrive if he were to return to Racing Bulls? Should this scenario unfold, the fate of Tsunoda becomes a pressing concern. If he gets dropped, who would fill the resulting vacuum?
Rumours suggest that Red Bull is considering drafting in Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto to replace Tsunoda at Racing Bulls. However, F1 reporter Joe Saward warns that such a deal may be difficult to negotiate, given that Colapinto is still a loanee from Williams. An alternative solution could come from Alpine’s reserve drivers, with the talented Estonian Paul Aron being a potential candidate to alleviate Red Bull’s driver conundrum.
Yet, resorting to rivals’ reserves is merely a short-term fix for Red Bull’s underlying issue. The team is yet to decipher why its car has proven to be a bitter pill for Verstappen’s numerous teammates and why it lacks sufficient in-house replacements for Lawson, if necessary.
In the face of mounting speculation, Horner remains non-committal. “We’ve only just finished the race here. We’ll take away the info and have a good look at it…I think Liam still has got potential. We’re just not realising that at the moment,” he stated. The team is just two races into the championship, and Horner refuses to comment on any potential changes, reminding that everything is purely speculative at this point.
As this drama unfolds, one thing remains clear: Red Bull has some serious questions to answer.
