Multiple F1 drivers had to hit the restart button in the two-week break between the Australia-China double-header and the Japanese Grand Prix. Some just haven’t got going at all.
Surprisingly, that list includes two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. Ralf Schumacher says Alonso may have lost some ‘courage’ in the face of Aston Martin’s limitations.
Alonso is bottom of the world championship, having retired from both races so far. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly is also among the scoreless drivers, a disappointing development after his late-2024 surge.
Further up the table, Carlos Sainz is struggling to understand the Williams car, with Alex Albon outperforming him. His early struggles have dulled the hype around his move to the iconic British team.
While both Ferrari drivers are in the top 10, the team desperately need to recover the ground they’ve already lost to their rivals. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the Chinese GP for separate technical infringements.
Without question, though, Liam Lawson has taken the most psychological damage up to this point. Lawson has been demoted from Red Bull to Racing Bulls in record time, with two miserable weekends shattering his dream almost instantly.
Christian Horner said something about Liam Lawson he ‘never’ said about Alex Albon
Speaking on the F1 Show, Sky Sports’ weekly podcast, Ted Kravitz read Red Bull’s statements following Lawson’s exit. He was struck by the use of the phrase ‘duty of care’.
As far as Kravitz remembers, Christian Horner has ‘never’ said that about one of his previous drivers. Pierre Gasly was demoted in 2019, while replacement Alex Albon was dropped altogether 18 months later.
The pit-lane analyst is worried about Lawson after seeing these remarks. The New Zealander presented himself as a ‘tough cookie’ before his Red Bull debut, but that image has now unravelled.
“What’s happened?” Kravitz said. “Christian Horner has never quoted having a duty of care to Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Jaime Alguersuari, Daniel Ricciardo or the others.
“But he’s used that phrase that ‘we have a duty of care’. Has it affected Liam worse than we imagined, despite his ‘I’m not here to make friends, I’m a tough cookie’?”
Yuki Tsunoda disagrees with Liam Lawson after driving Red Bull simulator
New Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda has ignored the advice Horner gave Lawson. The team principal warned of a steep learning curve, but Tsunoda is already targeting a podium at his home race.
Verstappen liked a post that accused Red Bull of ‘bullying’ Lawson, a move he’ll no doubt be forced to address during his Thursday media commitments. Helmut Marko has confirmed that the Dutchman opposed the driver swap.
Tsunoda sounds excited and confident before his debut, but the same was true of his predecessors. He clearly believes he can break the cycle, succeeding where more experienced and perhaps more accomplished drivers failed.
Indeed, Tsunoda disagreed with Lawson over the Red Bull’s handling after driving on the simulator. If he can get within a few tenths of Verstappen in Japan qualifying, it will be seen as an immediate success.
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