Replacing Perez With Lawson Still ‘Right Choice’

The jury is out as to whether Red Bull has fudged its driver choice for 2025.

Having lost the constructors’ championship last year due to Sergio Perez’s ongoing lag behind Max Verstappen, the team weighed up between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson – and opted for the latter.

Given that Tsunoda was closer to Verstappen’s pace in Melbourne despite being at the wheel of the junior Racing Bulls car, McLaren CEO Zak Brown could only scratch his head.

“They seem to make some strange driver choices.”

Indeed, 23-year-old Lawson is so early into his Formula 1 career that he had never driven at Albert Park before – and the same is also true of Shanghai this weekend.

The New Zealander was among the many mainly young drivers who crashed in Melbourne.

“Next weekend won’t be any easier,” said team boss Christian Horner, “as it’s a sprint race on a track he’s not familiar with.

“But he’s resilient. Melbourne wasn’t representative of what he’s really capable of.”

However, not many can argue that Perez would have been slower than Lawson in Australia. “I think he’ll be scratching his head,” Dutch commentator Olav Mol told Ziggo Sport.

“I have not seen him get anywhere near Verstappen’s pace. When you’re that far behind and you still crash …”

As for Zak Brown’s statement that Tsunoda would have been a better choice, Mol actually has a different idea. “I think they should have brought Carlos Sainz back,” he said.

“He was the only one who has ever really been about to push Max, at Toro Rosso. But the fuss between them became too much. Franz Tost couldn’t handle those two boys and those two fathers.”

Horner, though, insists that denouncing Lawson so soon is a mistake. “He did the second fastest lap time on dry tyres,” he said. “That’s the silver lining.

“The problem is that if you don’t make it to Q3, you’re already at a disadvantage.”

Former F1 driver Christijan Albers agrees with Horner that Lawson deserves more time. “They’re already saving money compared to the salary Sergio Perez had,” he smiled to De Telegraaf.

“I still support Red Bull’s decision. “They knew where they stood with Perez. There wasn’t much left to gain. There was no improvement anymore, and he was also getting older. The hunger goes away, and the fighting spirit also decreases a bit.

“In that respect they made the right choice.”

For Lawson, however, the pressure on his shoulders in China this weekend will be immense.

“It’s terrible to be Max Verstappen’s teammate, driving this particularly difficult Red Bull,” journalist Gaetan Vigneron told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

“It’s ok for Max, but Max is a very special guy. Lawson needs to get his act together as quickly as possible.”