F1
Red Bull preferred Lawson's "mental strength and resilience" over Tsunoda
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En Formula 1 and in life in general, some choices can be more controversial than others. By starting Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen in 2025, Red Bull has obviously exposed itself to questions, sometimes to criticism, of such a decision. It is no secret: the second seat of the Austrian team, left vacant after the break with Sergio Pérez, was to be played between the New Zealander and his teammate at Racing Bulls, Yuki tsunodaOn paper, the Japanese had solid arguments, especially after a solid 2024 season which ended in 12th place in the championship with 30 points.
However, Red Bull preferred to choose the young Liam Lawson, who has only 11 Grand Prix starts, rather than the Japanese who has played four full seasons with the team. Faenza and who beat the Kiwi in the last six rounds of the 2024 campaign. A choice that raises questions, inevitably, but Christian Horner does not hide and explains the reasoning of the Austrian formation. "We felt that Liam's trajectory, along with his mental strength and resilience, were the right assets to partner Max next year., Red Bull Team Principal told talkSPORT Driving. Because it's arguably the toughest seat in Formula 1, facing Max Verstappen at the peak of his career."
tsunoda "wants to prove us wrong"
If Liam Lawson is the big winner of this game of musical chairs in the Red Bull fold, Yuki Tsunoda is certainly the big loser. Despite his four seasons and 87 Grands Prix, the Japanese still does not have the confidence of his clan to be a starter in the mother team, and has seen himself overtaken by a young 22-year-old New Zealander, who has not yet competed in a full season in Formula 1. Despite the obvious disappointment of the Japanese driver, Christian Horner assures that he is not discouraged and that he intends to take his revenge on the track.
"I spoke with him recently and he is more motivated than ever. He wants to prove us wrong, that's obvious, underlines the British leader. Like I said to him, this sport is changing so fast, this industry is changing so fast, he just has to keep doing a good job at Racing Bulls. He's got a lot of talent, he drove our car in the [post-season] test in Abu Dhabi because we really wanted to evaluate him and he really impressed the engineers. Sadly, Christian Horner also acknowledged that if Red Bull cannot offer Yuki Tsunoda a place at Red Bull by the end of 2025, Austrian team could release Japanese driver. Let us also remember that Red Bull will no longer be powered by Honda, Yuki Tsunoda's main supporter, from 2026...
ALSO READ > Isack Hadjar was faster than Yuki Tsunoda in Abu Dhabi testing, says Christian Horner
Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
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vincent moyet
23/12/2024 at 12:45 a.m.
I'm not sure that Lawson, who inherits the ejection seat, as poorly prepared as his predecessors, is the big winner... As for Tsunoda, it's clear that RB has decided to get rid of him as soon as Honda is no longer in the house. RBR is reduced to choosing its drivers by default by dint of exhausting its own sector...
Yves-Henri RANDIER
22/12/2024 at 06:59 a.m.
It's obvious that Tsunhonda will no longer be in the Red Bull fold in 2026... unless Lawson crashes very quickly in 2025 alongside the Dutchman (who will try to crush him) to the point of being demoted during the summer break to Ridiculous Bulls in place of the Japanese. In any case, the pressure is already on before the season in the can clan: on Lawson (objective, the 2025 Constructors' title), Tsunoda (who will want to prove that the Horner / Marko duo was wrong) and Hadjar (supposedly faster than Tsunoda in post-season testing)! They all have an interest in making the most of the off-season