Red Bull have ruthlessly demoted Liam Lawson to Racing Bulls after two rounds, with Yuki Tsunoda promoted to partner Max Verstappen from the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
The Milton Keynes outfit have pulled an almost U-turn on the decision they made only three months ago when Red Bull promoted Lawson ahead of Tsunoda to replace Sergio Perez from their junior team. They have now switched seats, with Lawson joining Isack Hadjar in Faenza.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko argued Tsunoda lacked Lawson’s mental strength to be Verstappen’s teammate in December. But the Japanese pilot will step up on home soil, with Christian Horner believing Tsunoda’s experience can help Red Bull to improve the RB21.
Liam Lawson ‘breaking down’ left Red Bull with no choice but to promote Yuki Tsunoda
Lawson could not adapt to Red Bull’s car upon graduating from Racing Bulls after his only 11 Grands Prix over two seasons. The RB21 needs a unique driving style to master and the Kiwi failed to get to grips with the sharp front end and loose rear designed for Verstappen’s skills.
Now, Marko admits Red Bull made a ‘mistake’ promoting Lawson after he crashed out on his debut running slick tyres in wet conditions at the Australian Grand Prix before being slowest in both qualifying sessions at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he only finished the race in P12.
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Even Red Bull grew frustrated with Lawson’s lack of progress after failing to understand why he struggled so much. The 23-year-old losing his self-belief is also why Tom Coronel claims Lawson left Red Bull with no choice but to promote Tsunoda after two rounds of the season.
Coronel told RacingNews365 before Red Bull announced Lawson’s demotion to Racing Bulls: “That’s what you can expect with these kinds of results. In the end, you have to show it with your results. It’s just really too bad.
“We can see that Lawson is really breaking down. Then, as management, you don’t really have any other choice than to put him out of his misery. Should you give him more time? No, he has already driven Formula 1 races.
“If it really was his first time in Formula 1, then I would say, ‘Yes, you have to give him some more time’. But no, this just won’t work.”
Yuki Tsunoda must prove his mental strength after seeing Liam Lawson lose his confidence
Coronel is not alone in believing Lawson lost some of his confidence amid a dire start at Red Bull, which has seen Tsunoda given the seat they felt he did not merit two races ago. Robert Doornbos finds Lawson’s lost confidence ‘painful’ after having such high hopes at F1 testing.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
Even Marko likens Lawson to a ‘battered boxer’ after two races with Red Bull, given the Kiwi looked downright beaten after his disastrous showing in Shanghai where the team changed his set-up in parc fermé to try to give the 23-year-old a nicer car to drive in the Chinese GP.
Now, Red Bull are pinning their hopes on Tsunoda stepping up from Racing Bulls and the 24-year-old not succumbing to the challenge of being Verstappen’s teammate, like Lawson has. Even though that was the reason Marko argued Red Bull snubbed Tsunoda in the first place.
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