Liam Lawson’s first full season in F1 isn’t going to plan after being shown up by Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen in both Australia and China
Alex Albon’s worries about Liam Lawson jumping into a Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen too early may have been well-founded.
The New Zealander got his start as a reserve driver for AlphaTauri in 2023 but was thrust into the major league midway through last season. The beginning of the 2024 Championship saw Daniel Ricciardo struggle with performance issues, which led to the now Racing Bulls team dropping him after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Subsequently, Lawson joined forces with Yuki Tsunoda for the season’s last six rounds. Following Sergio Perez’s departure from the senior Red Bull team at the end of last season, Lawson was promoted to become Max Verstappen’s team-mate, a daunting proposition for a relative rookie on the grid.
He has struggled in the opening two Grands Prix of the season, retiring after crashing out in Australia and finishing 12th in China. His final position would have looked even worse had it not been for a series of disqualifications which promoted him up the order, having also endured a torrid qualifying session.
Lawson’s performances have raised questions over whether he has been over-promoted too soon, something Albon – who had his own difficulties in a Red Bull seat between 2019 and 2020 – knows a thing or two about.
Speaking on the situation in November, Albon, now racing for Williams, said: “I mean, in my head, do you need to jump into the main team that quickly against Max? From my experience, it’s not a bad thing to spend a couple of years learning your craft a bit more.
“But of course if there’s the opportunity, and if you’re going to have the opportunity, you have to take it,” reports the Express.
Lawson was among six drivers who didn’t finish at this month’s Australian GP in Melbourne, spinning out on Turn 2 and crashing into the barriers on lap 47 after a risky move to medium slicks after-rainfall. His subsequent performance at the Chinese GP in Shanghai saw him cross the line a distant 12th, more than 81 seconds behind and scoreless.
Amid these challenges, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has turned up the heat on Lawson, suggesting he has five races to make his mark or risk being ousted by Yuki Tsunoda, the Racing Bulls prodigy poised to take his spot. When quizzed whether he’d step in for Lawson at the upcoming Japanese GP, a confident 24 year old Tsunoda replied: “Yes, why not?
“[I would race for Red Bull in] Japan, yes, 100 per cent. The car [at Red Bull] is faster, I know that for sure.” Tsunoda’s bold remarks were met with a combative retort from Lawson, who vowed to staunchly contend for his position within the Red Bull team. He said: “He can say what he wants, to be honest.
“I raced against him for years in the junior categories and I beat him. And I did that in F1 as well. He can say what he wants, but it’s obviously extremely tough.
“It’s not something I enjoy and I’m honestly working as hard as I can. I don’t have time to test the car and get used to it, because we are already in the season and every race we lose points.
“That’s what I meant when I said I don’t have time. But I’m not stupid, I know I’m here to perform and if I don’t do that, I’m gone.
“I’m focused on getting used to the car as quickly as possible. We’re not happy and none of us are happy. I don’t know what else to say about that.”
