Just one race into the 2025 Formula 1 season and already multiple drivers are under pressure after difficult starts to the season.
One man lifted a weight off his shoulders after a fantastic start to the weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the sprint and then raced to victory in just his second race for Ferrari.
There were hopes that there may be an eight-driver fight for the drivers’ championship this season, with the top four teams all in a good position.
Sadly, one of the top four currently has a driver who has struggled heavily so far. Liam Lawson is yet to qualify higher than 18th in three sessions as a Red Bull driver.
Red Bull changed Lawson’s car to make him very slow during the season-opener in Melbourne, but it was expected that he would get back up to speed this weekend.
Instead, Helmut Marko won’t be happy at Lawson for making excuses after he qualified in 20th for a second consecutive session in China.
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Damon Hill offers Liam Lawson support after terrible Red Bull performance at the Chinese Grand Prix
Red Bull’s second seat alongside Max Verstappen appears to have a bit of a curse on it. The last four drivers to have been next to him haven’t been able to get anywhere near him.
With the 2026 F1 regulations around the corner, it’s critical that the team get their driver line-up correct now, or they risk doing long-term damage.
For now, 1996 champion and Formula 1 pundit Damon Hill has offered some support to Lawson following his tough start to life at the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
“Ouch. Tough start. All to play for tomorrow,” he wrote in an Instagram story post.
Not all hope is lost for Lawson yet. He has a long race ahead of him and regular dry conditions to utilise the pace of his new car.
Points could be a real possibility, and he has already received support from his teammate. Verstappen humiliated Red Bull with a Lawson statement by stating the Kiwi would be faster in the junior team’s car.
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Damon Hill says Yuki Tsunoda ‘continues to impress’ after strong Racing Bulls showing
The man who was competing against Lawson for a seat at Red Bull in 2025 has been performing very well so far.
Yuki Tsunoda was overlooked for a promotion, despite having far more experience and beating him 6-0 in the qualifying head-to-head at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls last year.
Marko says ‘completely unnecessary’ crashes denied Tsunoda a Red Bull seat after he endured a messy weekend at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.
The Japanese driver could find himself in the picture for a promotion again a lot faster than he anticipated if Lawson continues to struggle. He needs to find an answer soon.
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