Liam Lawson was surprised and disappointed by Red Bull`s decision to move him back to their junior team, Racing Bulls. Team boss Christian Horner called it a “horrible” decision but explained why it was made.
Just two races into his first season with Red Bull, Lawson was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. This happened only three months after Lawson was chosen over Tsunoda to partner Max Verstappen. Lawson`s performances in Australia and China were not strong, which led to this quick change.
Speaking in Tokyo, Lawson told reporters he was shocked by the decision, saying it “was definitely not something that I saw coming.” He added that previous discussions didn`t suggest this change.
Red Bull is known for making quick changes to their driver lineup, but this switch happened unusually fast.
While Lawson struggled in the first two races, these were at tracks where he had never driven before. Many people in Formula 1 were surprised that Red Bull didn`t wait to see how he would perform at a track he knew better, like Suzuka.
Lawson admitted he was frustrated not to have more time, especially at familiar tracks. He felt that more time would have helped him adjust to the car, which he described as “tricky.” He mentioned difficult pre-season testing and the sprint race format in China as contributing to his rocky start. However, Lawson acknowledged that the decision was not his to make and he is focused on doing his best in his current situation.
Horner: We Asked Too Much of Lawson Too Soon
Horner admitted that demoting Lawson was tough and also embarrassing for Red Bull`s management, who make the driver choices.
Lawson had only started 11 Grands Prix when he was picked over Tsunoda for the Red Bull seat.
Horner took responsibility, saying they “asked too much too soon” from Lawson, who is 23 years old.
Horner explained that while it`s hard to take away someone`s dream, it was necessary in this case. He said it`s not the end for Lawson and emphasized it was based on just two races. He believes they pushed Lawson too quickly and that this move is for Lawson to develop his talent at Racing Bulls while giving Tsunoda a chance to use his experience.
Red Bull`s car has been challenging to drive at the start of this season. Horner said a key factor in bringing in the more experienced Tsunoda was the need to improve the car quickly. Tsunoda has four years of F1 experience.
Horner stated they need to improve the car and use Tsunoda`s experience. He also said Lawson needs to rebuild his confidence at Racing Bulls in a less pressured environment.
Engineers Concerned About Lawson
Horner said that he and the engineers were worried about how Lawson was handling the pressure mentally. He noted that Lawson seemed to be struggling significantly in Australia and China.
While Lawson has talent and might have improved over time, Horner felt they didn`t have the luxury of waiting half a season. He said the engineering team was very concerned about the pressure on Lawson, and ultimately, they felt this change was the right decision.
Lawson insisted that his driving style wasn`t the issue with the RB21 car, but rather he just needed more time to adapt. He explained that Formula 1 weekends are very short compared to pre-season testing, making it harder to adjust to a new car quickly. He reiterated that it was about the lack of time in the car to adjust properly.
Verstappen Surprised by Speed of Decision
There were rumors that Max Verstappen was unhappy about the driver swap. However, Horner downplayed any negative impact on Verstappen.
Horner said Verstappen was surprised by how quickly the decision was made, but he also understood Lawson`s struggles. Horner added that Verstappen is focused on working with the team to improve the car and close the gap to competitors like McLaren.
Verstappen is expected to comment on the situation during media events at the Japanese Grand Prix.
