Former F1 driver Alguersuari defends Lawson, warning Red Bull’s ruthless culture leaves no room for patience or long-term vision.
Former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari has spoken out in support of Liam Lawson, following the young driver’s removal from Red Bull’s plans. Alguersuari, who himself experienced Red Bull’s tough internal politics during his F1 career, warned against quick judgments and pointed to the unpredictable nature of the team’s decision-making.
“Liam was new—he didn’t know the car, the team, or the tracks,” Alguersuari told Formula1.com. “You’ve got to give drivers like that time. F1 today is all about fine margins.”
“For instance, getting the tyres into the right operating window is crucial. Without that, you have no grip and can easily lose four or five tenths. If you look at Lawson’s data from Australia and China, he was struggling for grip everywhere.”
“He’s not as bad as some are making him out to be. It’s normal to have a rough start. He would have improved. You don’t go from a hero to the worst driver on the grid in two races.”
While defending Lawson, Alguersuari also acknowledged the greatness of Max Verstappen.
“Let’s be honest—over a 24-race season, no one in that team is going to be quicker than Max. He might be the best driver F1 has ever seen. His ability to control an understeering or oversteering car is on another level—he’s just ahead of the game.”
“People say the car is built for Max, but really, it’s built to be as fast as possible. Max likes a sharp, responsive car—that’s always going to be the quickest setup. A car with understeer is just slower.”
“Max understands the car, he knows exactly how to tune it to suit his style. Anyone in the second Red Bull seat ends up lost, because they can’t drive it like Max can. And if you adjust it to make it easier, you lose performance.”
Reflecting on Lawson’s situation, Alguersuari admitted it reminded him of his own tough exit from F1 back in 2011.
“F1 today is deeply psychological. To bounce back, you need to stay mentally strong, focus on the positives, and stay optimistic. You weren’t a bad driver before—don’t start thinking you are now.”
“Your F1 journey doesn’t end with one decision. You grow, you learn, and you move forward. Lawson needs to rebuild confidence, reconnect with the car, work with the engineers, and find that missing rhythm, step by step.”
Looking ahead, Alguersuari is optimistic about Yuki Tsunoda’s chances, especially now that he’s been given a bigger opportunity.
“Yuki’s got nothing to lose. The expectations aren’t sky-high, which helps. I remember when he first joined F1, people doubted him, just like they did with me. But he’s grown, he’s become a solid driver, and last year he did a great job during Red Bull’s post-season test in Abu Dhabi. Still, they didn’t give him the seat.”
“Now things have shifted. He’s probably in his prime, and he’s coming into his home Grand Prix on a run of strong, consistent performances. He knows the track, he’s motivated, and he wants a top team seat. I think he’ll deliver.”
Alguersuari even believes Tsunoda could be reasonably close to Verstappen in terms of pace.
“I’d be surprised if he’s more than half a second or six-tenths off Max. That’s not far. Doing better than Lawson’s two races is absolutely within reach—even though I still think it wasn’t fair to drop Liam.”
As for whether Tsunoda can keep the Red Bull seat long-term? Alguersuari keeps it simple:
“I have no idea. With Red Bull, you just never know. But right now, he’s in the best position of any of their junior drivers. That’s a good place to be.”
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Lawson Axed Too Soon? Alguersuari Slams Red Bull Tactics Lawson Axed Too Soon? Alguersuari Slams Red Bull Tactics
