Marko and Horner reveal why Liam Lawson secured the Red Bull seat over Yuki Tsunoda, emphasizing Lawson’s potential and required consistency.
Helmut Marko praised Liam Lawson for already proving to be a “tough driver” in F1 but emphasized that he must become more consistent in races.
Lawson has been called up to Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen for the 2025 F1 season.
While Lawson was outqualified 6-0 by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls, the two were often separated by less than a tenth.
Lawson’s adaptability and potential for growth, given his limited F1 experience, positioned him as a contender for the Red Bull Racing seat, and he was ultimately chosen, likely due to this potential.
“Liam has already shown that he’s a tough driver; he’s not afraid to fight big names, as he did with Alonso, with Hamilton, and also with Perez,” commented Red Bull consultant Dr. Marko.
“Now, with a full season, he needs to prove he can race consistently at that level. In qualifying, he was more or less on par with Yuki, and we’ll see how he fares among the top drivers.”
“I’d also say he needs to be more consistent in races. There’s still some variation, but he’s only done ten Grands Prix (actually 11) so far. That consistency comes with experience.”
Christian Horner explained why Yuki Tsunoda was not selected, admitting he was “sensitive” to the fact that the Japanese driver had more experience and is “very well-loved” by fans.
“It was very, very close between the two. I mean, Yuki is a very fast driver.”
“He now has three or four seasons of experience. He did an excellent job during the tire test for us in Abu Dhabi, where the engineers were impressed with his performance.”
“But we just felt that with Liam, when you look at and analyze his races, the race pace was slightly stronger in the events he contested.”
“His qualifying pace was very close to Yuki’s, and we have to assume that Liam’s potential, having only done 11 Grands Prix, is that he will only improve and get stronger.”
“He has shown real mental resilience and genuine tenacity. The engineers enjoyed working with him throughout the races he participated in this year. He also has a strong work ethic.”
Horner stated that Red Bull would give Tsunoda an opportunity to race for the team if they needed a replacement for Lawson during the 2025 season.
“Obviously, that’s not what we’re hoping for, but history has shown (with Albon and Gasly) that it’s sometimes necessary. Racing against Max Verstappen is a formidable challenge. So it’s great that Yuki remains involved with Racing Bulls next year. And, of course, he’s on standby if we ever need him.”
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Lawson’s Potential Edges Tsunoda in Red Bull Decision Lawson’s Potential Edges Tsunoda in Red Bull Decision
