Red Bull suffered a fairly miserable Chinese Grand Prix and failed to make the podium for the fourth time in their last seven races.
Even Max Verstappen was unable to work a miracle with the Red Bull, despite showing some strong qualifying pace in Shanghai.
Liam Lawson struggled the most of any driver throughout the weekend, and qualified 20th for both the sprint and the main race.
It wasn’t a Chinese Grand Prix to remember for him either, as he trundled around at the back and finished 15th.
Red Bull have given Lawson a ‘critical’ deadline to improve, otherwise, he risks losing his seat at the team after just three races beyond the Japanese Grand Prix.
Interestingly, Verstappen humiliated Red Bull with a Lawson statement after suggesting that he would be faster in the sister team’s car.
READ MORE: Helmut Marko’s ominous five-word answer when asked whether Liam Lawson could lose Red Bull seat mid-season
Martin Brundle predicts Oscar Piastri will not have to battle Liam Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix
Lawson is performing nowhere near the expected standard. So much so, that his team may already be picking his replacement.
Whether it’s because he will be racing for another team or because he will continue to struggle, Martin Brundle has taken a subtle dig by suggesting that Oscar Piastri will only have to fight one Red Bull at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
“He’s got every chance but he’s going to have to beat Norris and Mercedes, and Ferrari, and at least one Red Bull,” he said on Sky Sports F1 after the Chinese Grand Prix.
Verstappen has been applying internal pressure to Red Bull in a bid to fix their tyre management woes. It’s something that his Kiwi teammate could benefit from.
But it could come too late, particularly if Lawson fails to find a way into the top 10 in Suzuka if he is still in their cockpit.
READ MORE: Ted Kravitz says Red Bull made one change to Liam Lawson’s car that caused him to be ‘very, very slow’
Who could Red Bull replace Liam Lawson with for the rest of the 2025 F1 season?
There is one man who deserves the opportunity if Red Bull do decide that they need to make a change in their second car going forward.
Some were surprised that the team snubbed Yuki Tsunoda, who has an extra four seasons of experience in hand over Lawson in the first place.
The next Grand Prix is his home race at Suzuka, and what better occasion to mark your debut for the team that you have always wanted to drive for than in front of your adoring fans?
Helmut Marko says ‘completely unnecessary’ incidents cost Tsunoda a Red Bull seat after a string of crashes at the Mexican Grand Prix last year.
Since then, he has been a dependable top-10 contender and is their best option moving forward. He knows how to score points.
