Red Bull have now imposed ‘critical’ deadline for Liam Lawson after Chinese Grand Prix misery

Liam Lawson’s future at Red Bull is already in doubt. He hasn’t even started his second race for the team, but his desperate performances have caused alarm behind the scenes.

Lawson qualified last for both the Sprint and the Chinese Grand Prix. Teammate Max Verstappen was second and fourth respectively in those sessions.

This comes after he crashed out of the season-opening Australian GP. Lawson had failed to progress from Q1 at Albert Park.

Predecessor Sergio Perez was eliminated in the first segment of qualifying six times last season. But Red Bull clearly expected Lawson to offer a considerable improvement, hence breaking the Mexican’s contract by mutual consent last December.

Liam Lawson must improve at Japanese Grand Prix otherwise Red Bull seat could be at risk

According to The Race, Lawson’s Red Bull future is already in ‘jeopardy’. The team’s hierarchy are ‘privately questioning’ whether he’s good enough after less than seven days into the 2025 season.

The report clarifies that he isn’t under immediate threat. Another poor showing in Sunday’s race won’t be fatal.

However, Red Bull have set the Japanese Grand Prix as a deadline to decide whether they should persist with Lawson. They view it as a ‘critical’ test.

The New Zealander has stressed that he’s unfamiliar with the Melbourne or Shanghai circuits, but he drove for AlphaTauri at Suzuka in 2023. On that basis, they will demand an improvement.

The team are apparently ‘baffled’ by Lawson’s woes, which is worrying in and of itself. Until they identify the root cause, there may not be a lasting improvement.

Max Verstappen made remarkable claim about Liam Lawson struggles at Chinese Grand Prix

While the most important conversations are taking place out of the public eye, Red Bull’s leadership are inevitably facing questions already. They’re known for their willingness to make ruthless mid-season driver changes if they deem it necessary.

Helmut Marko simply said ‘F1 is a competitive sport’ when asked about Lawson on Saturday. If he’s not ‘competitive’ enough himself, it’s clear what will happen.

Many F1 fans believe Yuki Tsunoda was the better option once Red Bull committed to replacing Perez. Tsunoda impressed again on Saturday by following up P6 in the Sprint with a Q3 appearance.

But Max Verstappen says Lawson would be faster at Racing Bulls right now, such are the handling problems with the RB21. That’s a remarkable statement given where the two teams sit in F1’s hierarchy, but it could buy the 23-year-old some sympathy.