Liam Lawson will hope that he can look back at the first two Grand Prix of the 2025 Formula 1 season as a strange anomaly rather than a career-defining moment.
The Chinese Grand Prix was never going to be the easiest event for Liam Lawson based off what had been seen at Red Bull during pre-season testing and the first race in Australia.
Lawson was the least experienced driver at the Albert Park circuit and was one of four full-season rookies who didn’t reach the chequered flag in the rain.
The pressure was really cranked up on Lawson when he failed to demonstrate the one-lap pace needed to get out of Q1 for both the Spint Race and the Grand Prix in Shanghai.
Once again, Red Bull decided to start Lawson from the pit lane to change his set-up to try and make the car easier to drive but to avail.
Yuki Tsunoda is expected to replace Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix in a desperate blow to his Formula 1 career.
A return to Racing Bulls seems likely, but there are two factors that cropped up in Shanghai that appear to have sped up team principal Christian Horner’s decision.
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Liam Lawson’s Red Bull exit sped up by ‘two aspects’ after the Chinese Grand Prix
Journalist Jon Noble was speaking on The Race’s Patreon about Lawson’s situation and explained: “Whether something happened in the race yesterday, whether they were expecting more from the set-up or something, the patience seemed to run out a little bit more.
“So, maybe there’s two aspects here. The time frame of the triple header, so you either make a call pre-Japan or you make the call after Saudi Arabia.
“So, you’ve got three more races at a time when the constructors’ [championship] could be slipping away.
“They’ve seen McLaren whacking two drivers right to the top, they would have done that in Australia as well if Piastri hadn’t had his spin.
“They’ve seen Mercedes be very quick, Ferrari on their day is quick but has a few weaknesses, shall we say.
“So, I think Red Bull feels like it’s still holding on to the drivers’ championship, and Max is eight points behind Lando, but we must remember that the prize money is based on the constructors’ championship. This defines everything.
Max recovers to finish P4. After starting from the pit lane, Liam finishes P15.
Result 🏁 PIA, NOR, RUS, Max P4, LEC, HAM, OCO, ANT, ALB, BEA. Liam P15.#F1 || #ChineseGP 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/rJTdMZmjam
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) March 23, 2025
“The reason they got rid of Sergio Perez and brought Liam Lawson in was because the constructors’ championship and them not wanting to finish as far down as last year.
“If they feel that another three races of zero points puts them in a position where that championship is going to be gone, maybe this has prompted the potential [swap].”
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Red Bull face Yuki Tsunoda ‘PR risk’ ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix
The pressure that Tsunoda faces ahead of his Red Bull debut is incredible as he looks to finally justify being promoted after nearly 100 Grand Prix starts.
He couldn’t be doing it at a more important race, with Suzuka his home track and an expectant crowd hoping to see the first Japanese driver to finish on the podium since Kamui Kobayashi.
Journalist Ronald Vording was speaking on the Autosport Podcast about the potential move and said: “Based on the numbers, you could make the argument for a swap.
“But then you’ve got the personal aspect and then you can, OK, is it fair to do it already now?
“And the second thing, there’s a PR risk also for Yuki Tsunoda. If you put him in the Red Bull car in Suzuka and if he ends up being P20, dead last like Liam Lawson was, it’s in front of his home fans.
“So, I think there’s a big risk.”
Tsunoda was praised after his post-season test with Red Bull last year, but that’s the only experience he has in one of the team’s car.
Given Max Verstappen thinks Lawson will be faster at Racing Bulls because of the car’s larger operating window, the 24-year-old might have his work cut out already.
