Red Bull are starting to struggle with their Formula 1 operations, and are completely unsure about what to do with their second cockpit or development of their car.
Max Verstappen sits second in the drivers’ championship because he has been able to perform further miracles with the RB21.
Teammate Liam Lawson has not been able to replicate that sort of form since joining the team, and his seat is already under threat after just two races.
Red Bull are under pressure to improve fast, because if they don’t, Verstappen may begin to have doubts about racing for them heading into the 2026 F1 regulations.
Verstappen is doing something he has never done at Red Bull. He’s working harder than he ever has in a bid to make their car better.
Christian Horner won’t accept why Lawson is so slow and believes that experience shouldn’t be the only factor. There are underlying problems within the team that need to be rectified.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s camp now holding behind-the-scenes talks with Red Bull rivals after 2025 struggles
Ralf Schumacher believes Christian Horner failed to keep Red Bull ‘together’ in 2024
Red Bull were dealt a major blow during the 2024 season when it was announced that legendary designer Adrian Newey would be leaving them ahead of the 2025 campaign.
After 20 years together, he would no longer have an influence on their car. Red Bull’s plans for fixing their 2025 F1 car are unclear. They’re not sure what their problem is themselves.
Ralf Schumacher traces the problem back to last season when team principal Horner failed to keep the team together (including Jonathan Wheatley who left for Sauber).
“I think that the only thing you can accuse Christian Horner of is that he didn’t manage to keep the team together. That he couldn’t maintain the working basis that Adrian Newey stayed in the team,” he said.
“I think it was his private matter, of course, that was a problem. Of course, he pulled out all the stops to save his position and his job. That ultimately led to [the] team at least partially falling apart.”
READ MORE: Why Red Bull sources believe Max Verstappen is now contributing to Liam Lawson’s ‘difficult’ start
What is Liam Lawson’s average deficit to Max Verstappen at Red Bull in qualifying?
Lawson has participated in three qualifying sessions with Red Bull since joining the team, qualifying 18th in Australia, and 20th twice at the Chinese Grand Prix.
With gaps of 1.076, 0.813 and 0.750 seconds respectively, the margin has been reduced gradually by the Kiwi, who is still getting used to his new car.
It leaves the average deficit at 0.880 seconds. It’s under one second, which is the mark for where it may begin to get a little embarrassing. It’s not terrible for an effective rookie against the reigning champion.
We know that the RB21 is tailored to Verstappen’s driving style, so maybe Lawson deserves a bit more slack. He is showing signs of improvement.
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