The 2025 Formula 1 season has seen Liam Lawson grappling with a challenging start. Despite the Racing Bulls F1 car being reputed as easier to handle than the Red Bull, Lawson is refusing to hide behind the vehicle’s difficulty as an excuse. He insists on the need to get accustomed to the RB21, even in the face of growing whispers suggesting the clock is ticking for him at Red Bull. The seasoned driver had a lackluster performance in his initial races, which has given rise to speculation about a potential replacement.
Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar, Lawson’s Racing Bulls teammates, have been shining early on in the season. Tsunoda has been a steady presence in Q3, while Hadjar has been outperforming Lawson in qualifying and even secured his first Q3 appearance in Shanghai. Tsunoda, despite suffering technical setbacks in Australia and China, has three points to his credit. Even Hadjar, despite a rocky start, has shown better results than Lawson, almost breaking into the top 10 in China.
Max Verstappen has weighed in on the situation, theorizing that the Racing Bulls F1 car’s design lends itself to easier handling than the RB21. Verstappen pointed out the performance gap between Lawson and other team drivers, indicating that the Red Bull vehicle is particularly challenging. He went on to speculate that Lawson would perform better if he were driving for the Racing Bulls.
Lawson has agreed with Verstappen’s assessment, conceding that the VCARB 02 is indeed easier to handle than the Red Bull. However, he maintains that he must learn to handle the RB21 quickly. The driver expressed that the vehicle is certainly difficult to maneuver, but insists that each race and every new strategy attempted is an opportunity for learning.
The weekend race was tougher than Melbourne, according to Lawson, due to a setup experiment that failed to deliver. However, he remains optimistic about learning from these experiences, although he laments that progress seems to be heading in the wrong direction.
Christian Horner, the team principal, has also expressed that the VCARB 02 is more stable than the RB21. He believes the Racing Bull vehicle is more settled, with a slight understeer that makes it easier to adapt to. However, the difference in pace between the two cars is noticeable during longer stints.
Despite the RB21 presenting a more challenging drive due to its edgier nature, Lawson and the Red Bull team are committed to learning and adapting. The question remains: will they be able to turn things around and put the curse of Red Bull’s second seat to rest? Only time will tell.
