BREAKING :Christian Horner Addresses Red Bull Speculation…Read more
Christian Horner Addresses Red Bull Speculation Surrounding Liam Lawson
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has responded to mounting speculation regarding under-pressure driver Liam Lawson, following a difficult start to his first full season with the senior Formula 1 team.
Regarded as a rising talent and seen as a serious contender for a full-time seat, Lawson impressed during his stint with the junior team. His promotion to the main Red Bull team, however, was seen by some in the paddock as a bold and perhaps premature move by Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko.
Now just two races into the 2025 season, Lawson’s performance in the RB21 — a car widely acknowledged as more difficult to handle than the Racing Bulls’ previous machinery — has raised questions. Rumors have begun to swirl about a potential driver switch, with suggestions that Lawson could be swapped with Yuki Tsunoda as early as the Japanese Grand Prix.
Speaking after the Chinese Grand Prix, Horner addressed the growing speculation in an interview with Sky F1. While he didn’t shut down the rumors entirely, he emphasized that no decisions had been made yet.
“There’s always going to be speculation in the paddock,” Horner said. “We’ve only just finished this race. We’ll take away the data and analyze it carefully.”
When asked about claims from Marko suggesting a meeting was scheduled to address Lawson’s struggles, Horner replied that “nothing specific” had been planned.
He acknowledged that Lawson has endured a challenging start to the year. “It’s been a tough couple of races for Liam,” Horner admitted. “We made a significant setup change, taking him out of parc ferme, to try and give him a more confidence-inspiring car. We collected 56 laps of valuable data from that.”
Horner added that Lawson’s current form doesn’t reflect his full potential. “He’s a talented young driver, but we’re not unlocking that performance right now. Naturally, the pressure builds in this sport, and I do feel for him. It’s tough.”
“He’s a young guy and we have a responsibility to support him. We’ll continue doing everything we can to help him improve,” Horner emphasized.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, now in his fifth season with Red Bull’s junior team, continues to attract praise for his consistent performances. Despite finishing behind Lawson in Shanghai — his first off-weekend of the season — Tsunoda’s result was hampered by a questionable two-stop strategy and unexpected front wing damage, not caused by contact.
Lawson, despite beating Tsunoda in the race, has failed to escape Q1 in every qualifying session so far and started last in both the sprint and main race this weekend.
As the pressure mounts, Red Bull will be carefully weighing its options ahead of the next round — but for now, the team’s leadership insists it’s too early to make drastic changes.
