The decision by Red Bull management to replace Lawson with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has not gone down well in New Zealand as well as the current F1 world champion Max Verstappen. The latter is also the Red Bull flagbearer and Lawson’s teammate on the F1 Grand Prix circuit.
Verstappen is reported to be frustrated by Red Bull deciding to sack Lawson after only two races. He stated that Racing Bulls, the feeder of Red Bull where Lawson used to race before his elevation, cars are easier to drive.
“That Racing Bulls car is easier to drive than ours. I notice that when I talk to Liam. Last year the difference between him and Yuki wasn’t that big, I thought. Otherwise the team wouldn’t have made the choice to put Liam in at Red Bull,” said the F1 world champion.
New Zealand Minister for Sport Mark Mitchell jumped into the controversy backing Lawson. “I’m disappointed if he isn’t racing in the Red Bull, but I’m really excited that if he’s at least back in the Racing Bull, that he can go and show everyone what he’s capable of,” he told New Zealand media.
Venting his ire on Red Bull from dropping Lawson, New Zealand motorsport analyst Bob McMurray called the decision a “ridiculous situation that they have got themselves into and I think the situation is entirely Red Bull’s fault and not Liam’s at this point”.Bernadette Collins, the former Aston Martin F1 team strategy engineer, echoed similar views. She asked the Red Bull management and strategists why they did not provide enough time to Lawson to test the Red Bull car.Lawson crashed and failed to finish the race in the Australian Grand Prix. His race during the Chinese Grand Prix was not so dramatic but he finished 18th. He is yet to score any point in the 2025 season.
Since 2018, Red Bull has been changing and chopping its second driver regularly. While Verstappen has been a constant, the team has had Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Lawson as his partners. With Tsunoda all set to replace Lawson from the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit on April 6, Verstappen will have his sixth partner in the last seven years.
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