The choice of Liam Lawson as the new Red Bull driver alongside Max Verstappen in 2025 is now official, but team principal Christian Horner wanted to delve deeper into the reasons behind this decision, while still leaving a glimmer of hope for Yuki Tsunoda, who will continue to be part of the Racing Bulls family.
In an interview released a ESPN, Horner described the decision-making process as “very, very close,” highlighting the strengths of both Lawson and Tsunoda. “It was a very tough battle between the two of them,” admitted Horner. “Yuki is a very quick driver, with three or four seasons of experience under his belt. He did a great job in the tyre tests in Abu Dhabi, impressing our engineers.”
The Reasons Behind Lawson's Choice
Despite Tsunoda’s positive performances, Red Bull opted for Lawson based primarily on the potential the young New Zealander has shown in eleven races with Racing Bulls. “When you look at their performances, Lawson’s race pace has been a little bit better,” Horner explained.
“Liam was very close to Yuki in qualifying, but you have to consider that he has only raced eleven grands prix. We believe his potential is still to be explored: he has shown great mental resilience and an impeccable work ethic. The engineers enjoyed working with him, and he has been very versatile in difficult situations, such as his debut at Zandvoort, where he immediately showed his character.”
Tsunoda, a ready-to-use resource
Despite the promotion of LawsonHorner was keen to stress Tsunoda’s importance to the Red Bull project: “It’s great that Yuki is staying with us at Racing Bulls next year. He will be a valuable asset and will obviously be available should we need him.”
Tsunoda's confirmation in Racing Bulls represents an opportunity for the Japanese to continue to grow and improve his performances, while remaining under observation by the main team.
A difficult role for Lawson
Lawson’s task will not be easy. The New Zealander will find himself sharing the garage with a driver of the calibre of Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion who has dominated the scene in recent seasons. Horner highlighted the importance of managing the pressure: “Liam must not let himself be crushed by the comparison with Max. He must concentrate on himself and on the work with his engineers, without worrying too much about the data from Car 1. If he does that, he will be able to achieve great results.”
Source statements: FormulaPassion
