F1: Will Red Bull give Liam Lawson more chances?

The New Zealander was in La Picota after another disappointing action in China and the possibility of replacing Yuki Tsunoda in the next race is already replaced.

Formula 1 can swallow the most painted in a jiffy. There is no time, it is not expected, you have to give up because behind there are a lot of candidates to take that precious place. There are only 20 seats in a world of 8,000 million inhabitants. And if it is Red Bull, a team with a long history of having revoked pilots through the window, the story is even more complex. This borderline situation is living by Liam Lawson in just two of the 24 dates of the 2025 season.

The New Zealander was anointed as a pilot of the Energy Drink team to replace the Czech Pérez eject. The Mexican must have in a drawer of his house saved the contract he signed in May 2024 to run with the Austrians in 2025 and that he did not even release. At the end of last year it was dismissed by the lack of results. Christian Horner, director of Team, and Helmut Marko, sports advisor and strong man inside doors, understood that the best bet was Lawson, with just 11 races played in F1, in two different seasons, in the company’s minor team (he made five in Alpha Tauri and six in Racing Bulls). In that pilgrimage of few appointments, the young oceanic had shown very interesting virtues: speed, courage, mental firmness, courage and interesting results taking into account the potential of the team. His rival to occupy Max Verstappen’s fellow armchair was Yuki Tsunoda, who in 2024 completed his fourth season with team B of Red Bull. The Japanese turned in Abu Dhabi, during the postseason trials and the Popes leaned for Lawson.

He started the 2025 just and began the Crucis via for the Neozyle. The RB21 is a car designed for Max Verstappen. Or, perhaps, it is a very complicated car to carry and that only the inexhaustible talent of crack that is the Dutch can carry it. It had already happened with the RB20, especially in the second part of the 2024 season, the period in which Czech ceased to be competitive, which signed the departure sentence. The Tapatío complained that the car was difficult to carry, but, of course, his partner came out world champion. At 2025 the story is repeated with Lawson.

Numbers: The former Racing Bull played three classifications with the RB21 and in no one passed the Q1 filter (the qualy for China’s sprint is added). The chassis born in Milton Keynes can be difficult to carry, but from there to be last in classification … the feature seen in the Red Bull is a car that has a lot of trunk and the rear quite loose. And yes, Max takes it, as it would probably carry whatever it was. But Lawson can’t. In China’s long race, the best return record of the Dutch was 1M35S488, achieved the last turn. Liam achieved 1M35S985, almost half a slower. Max was fourth and Lawson, 15th.

In China, yes, already on the second date, Rumors began. Surprise? Pass and see a history of pilots who were revoked by the Red Bull family in recent years: Daniil Kvyat, Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Nyck de Vries, Brendon Hartley, Checo Pérez … Many of them, in the middle of the season. Some were sent back home, others, down of Red Bull and repositioned in the minor team. Yes, Lawson are at risk and some daring already talk about Japan, the next appointment.

The closest and most concrete option is to make a redness with Tsunoda. Asked in China on whether I was ready to hit Red Bull, the Japanese said: “Yes, why not? And if it is for Japan, I am ready 100%, the car is faster.” Quickly, the Press people of the Racing Bull team moved him away from the microphones.

Lawson is the first to accept the rules of the game. “Unfortunately I don’t have much time, but being able to handle a Formula 1 car well requires 100% confidence. It is not that I do not feel safe, honestly it is very hard, “he said.” The performance advantage of the car is very small, but it is no excuse. I have to be able to control it. ”

When Marko asked about the situation, his speech turned radically over the weekend. After the “need time” on Friday, his words went to the bone before the microphone of Sky Germany. “Formula 1 is a competitive sport and this is not what we expected. We will talk calmly, we still have some pilots in our academy.” Verstappen tried to give him a hand, or not. “If I were in a Racing Bull, I would surely go fast,” he said. Is the problem for Max the RB21 or Liam?

The next few days will be key to knowing if Lawson will have one more chance in Japan, just the house of Tsunoda. But who can ensure that Yuki will know how to carry the complicated RB21?