Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has added to rumors that Liam Lawson`s position with the team might be at risk after just two races. Horner declined to confirm that the New Zealander would continue driving for Red Bull at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, the third race of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Lawson has had a challenging start to his Red Bull tenure. He was eliminated in the first qualifying round in all three sessions he participated in (including a Sprint format session) and his race pace has been noticeably slower compared to his teammate Max Verstappen`s performance.
Red Bull promoted Lawson from their junior team, Racing Bulls, after only 11 Grand Prix starts across two brief periods in 2023 and 2024. He was chosen over Yuki Tsunoda, his more experienced former teammate.
According to Autosport, Red Bull is reportedly considering replacing Lawson with Tsunoda as early as the Japanese Grand Prix, which is scheduled for April 4-6 in Suzuka.
When questioned about this speculation during a press briefing after the Chinese Grand Prix, Horner did not deny the report, adding fuel to the fire.
Horner stated, “There`s always going to be paddock rumors. We just finished the race, and we will review the data and analyze everything carefully.”
Horner`s non-committal response regarding Lawson`s future suggests growing concern within the team about the driver`s performance.
Horner commented, “Liam still has potential, but we aren`t seeing it currently. The pressure is mounting on him after a couple of difficult weekends, and I feel for him. It`s clearly a tough situation for him at the moment.”
He added, “He`s young, and it`s our responsibility to support him. We will do our best to help him through this.”
Despite acknowledging Lawson`s struggles, Horner dismissed the fact that the first two races were at new circuits for Lawson as a primary reason for his performance issues.
Horner said, “These drivers adapt to new tracks quickly. We will continue to assess the situation. We have a lot of data to analyze, and that`s what we will do.”
Yuki Tsunoda, who has previously voiced his disappointment at not being promoted, has been performing strongly this season. Despite some unfortunate events costing him points in the initial races, he achieved a notable sixth-place finish in the Shanghai Sprint.
When asked about Tsunoda`s performance, Horner noted, “Yuki is now an experienced driver and is doing an excellent job. He was unlucky with strategy and a front-wing issue today. But he also performed well last weekend.”
Last year, Tsunoda tested Verstappen`s championship-winning RB20 car. Despite this, Red Bull seemed set on promoting Lawson instead of Sergio Perez. Horner indicated that while Tsunoda`s test data is valuable, the team needs to consider a broader perspective when making driver decisions.
The Formula 1 season continues at the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix from April 4-6.
