Red Bull’s Formula 1 team is contemplating a significant reshuffle in its driver lineup, given the recent underperformance by its new recruit, Liam Lawson. The young driver has had a challenging start to the season, prompting Red Bull to weigh its options.
Lawson was brought in as a replacement for Sergio Perez during the winter, following the latter’s disappointing performance at the tail end of the 2024 season. Despite Perez only amassing nine points in the last eight races of that year, Red Bull had set high expectations for Lawson, inspired by the impressive run of Max Verstappen who secured his fourth driver’s championship with a whopping 134 points.
However, the first two races of the current season have been a letdown for Red Bull, with Lawson’s performance falling short of the mark. Verstappen, despite the non-winning streak of the car, has managed to gather 36 points. In contrast, Lawson faced a crash out in Australia and a 12th place finish after disqualifications in China. His last-place qualifications in both the Sprint and Grand Prix added to the concerns.
The races in Melbourne and Shanghai were Lawson’s maiden drives on these circuits. However, he himself expressed doubts about being given sufficient time to acclimatize with the 2025 Red Bull.
Lawson, reflecting on his performance, stated, “It’s been extremely tough. I’d love to say I just need more time driving the car, but, obviously, we don’t really have that.”
His finish at the Chinese Grand Prix was over a minute slower than Verstappen’s fourth-place finish, indicating a pace deficit of more than a second per lap in the 56-lap race.
Rumours are rife that Red Bull may consider promoting Yuki Tsunoda as a possible replacement for Lawson, who might return to Racing Bulls. However, Red Bull’s history of sticking with its lineup, as evidenced by retaining Perez last summer despite lower-than-expected performance, suggests that a driver change is not guaranteed.
The team principal, Christian Horner, remained non-committal when asked about Lawson’s future. He said, “Look, I think everything is purely speculative at the moment. We’ve just finished this race. We’re going to take away the info and have a good look at it. I think Liam still has potential – we’re just not realizing that at the moment.”
Horner also highlighted Red Bull’s need for two high-performing drivers to compete effectively for the constructors’ championship. He said, “There’s performance that we need to find and we need both drivers up there if there’s to be any chance of fighting for the constructors’ championship.”
As Red Bull prepares for the next race in Japan, all eyes are on the team’s decision regarding Lawson’s future, a decision that could significantly impact the team’s prospects in the ongoing season.
