At the start of the season at the Australian Grand Prix, Lawson faced a challenging race, starting from 18th and ultimately crashing out. His luck didn’t improve much in China the following weekend, where he ended up last in qualifying for both the sprint and the grand prix, finishing in 14th and 12th positions in those races.
Meanwhile, world champion Verstappen showcased consistency, with a second-place finish in Melbourne and a fourth-place finish in Shanghai. Up next, the exciting action moves to the Japanese Grand Prix, scheduled for April 4-6.
At 23, Lawson candidly admitted that the recent changes in his racing career have been “tough” to navigate. However, he’s looking forward to the new opportunities with his former team, Racing Bulls. Sharing his thoughts on Instagram, Lawson expressed, “Being a Red Bull Racing driver has been my dream since I was a kid, and it’s what I’ve worked towards my whole life.”
Marko, reflecting on the team’s decision, explained that 24-year-old Tsunoda would have until the end of the season to prove himself with Red Bull. “We believe he can do the job,” Marko stated confidently. He elaborated that Tsunoda has shown significant growth and improvement this season, noting, “It’s strange after four years; now, in his fifth year, he is a much stronger personality.”
Addressing why Red Bull chose not to bring Lawson back for the Japanese Grand Prix, Marko highlighted concerns about Lawson’s self-confidence. He noted, “We were worried that his self-confidence is so damaged that he couldn’t bring his normal performance.” On the strategic front, having two strong drivers can provide better opportunities to support Max, especially if they are consistently in the top five or eight.
Despite the switch with Tsunoda, Marko emphasized that this is not a step down for Lawson. He reassured, “He’s not kicked out of F1, and Racing Bulls will give him the chance to recover and restart his career.” Drawing on past experiences of dropped drivers from Red Bull, Marko pointed out that those like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have managed to bounce back and become competitive again.
Reflecting on Lawson’s situation, Marko noted, “For the benefit of him, he goes back to Racing Bulls, which has a car capable of being top 10 in qualifying and the race.” Although the RB21 isn’t the fastest car, Marko believes it’s still challenging to drive, a task Max handles well but Liam needs more time with.
