After a rocky start, Liam Lawson has just one more shot to prove he belongs before Red Bull rethinks its bold gamble.
Red Bull is keeping its cool — for now — when it comes to Liam Lawson.
After a rough season opener, where he finished dead last in both the sprint and regular qualifying sessions in China, the pressure is clearly building. But Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko says Lawson still has a bit of time to prove himself.
The team chose Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda for 2025, mainly for his mental resilience — a move that raised eyebrows, including criticism from McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who called the decision “strange.”
“I don’t pay much attention to that,” Marko said in Shanghai. “It’s just part of the usual games. Yuki lacked consistency last year. Unfortunately, Lawson hasn’t delivered yet either.”
“But let’s not forget — in dry conditions back in Melbourne, he was one of the fastest. So don’t write him off just yet.”
“We’ll wait for the first three races. They’re all on very different tracks. Once he finds his rhythm, we’ll have a clearer picture.”
Marko tried to put Lawson’s struggles in China into context: “Australia was his first race. He doesn’t know the Shanghai circuit. That makes things harder. He did well on his first run, but couldn’t get the tyres in the right window for the second.”
“We thought he’d found his rhythm, but it’s clearly not coming easily. The car, as he says, is harder to drive than the Racing Bulls machine. But now, he needs to slowly build up.”
Then, Marko didn’t hold back: “This is definitely not what we expected from Liam. But we’ll analyze the situation. If we look at the positives — take Hadjar with Racing Bulls. He’s never raced here, and still posted impressive times without any big mistakes. That shows what’s possible.”
Could Red Bull make a mid-season driver change? Marko didn’t rule it out.
“Formula 1 is a competitive sport. In the end, it’s all about performance.”
So, is Yuki Tsunoda back in the conversation? It seems Red Bull is still keeping tabs on him.
“Yuki has taken another big step forward this year — both as a person and as a driver. He’s also changed managers and he’s delivering so far.”
Asked whether he’d be ready if Red Bull called him up for the next race — on home turf in Japan — Tsunoda replied: “In Japan? Absolutely, 100%. The car is fast, and Max is proving that. But I don’t think it’s on the table right now.”
Team principal Christian Horner also publicly backed Lawson — at least for now.
“Liam’s got a good head on his shoulders. His debut was tough. I told him: block out the noise, ignore social media, keep your head down, and you’ll be fine. He just needs some time. But Red Bull isn’t an easy place — Max has been with us nearly a decade.”
“We believe in giving young talent a shot. That’s why Liam got this opportunity.”
Lawson has always been known as a confident, straight-talking racer. But is the pressure starting to crack that confidence?
“Mental strength is crucial in this sport. If you start doubting yourself on track, it shows in how you drive.”
“I know I need the right mindset to get the best out of myself.”
When asked whether it was his resilience, not his pace, that won him the seat over Tsunoda, Lawson responded: “I hope they chose me because they believe in me.”
“If I look back at our careers — I was Yuki’s teammate in F3 and I beat him. Same in Euroformula. Same back home in New Zealand.”
“And honestly, when I think about all the times he got promoted over me in the past… I don’t think he deserved it. He had his shot. Now it’s my turn.”
Marko Issues Warning: Lawson Must Deliver or Step Aside Marko Issues Warning: Lawson Must Deliver or Step Aside
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