Last Updated on December 19 2024, 7:13 pm

While welcoming a new driver to the Formula One fraternity is always intriguing, Red Bull’s decision to replace Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson is highly questionable. The once ruthless organisation in terms of driver selection and sacking has dithered since the summer break, appearing to cling to a forlorn hope that their Mexican driver was about to turn the corner any time soon.

Of course this was not the case and in latter months the matter clearly went legal as Christian Horner shifted his narrative from “the team is doing everything it can to support Checo,” to on the topic of retirement “that has to be Checo’s decision,” as he told assembled media in Qatar.

Regardless, the paddock conversation for several weeks has been obsessed with a single topic, that is who would be the replacement driver when the inevitable arrives and Perez is relieved of his duties alongside Max Verstappen.

 

 

 

Red Bull failed with Max’s team mates

Since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo – the first time around – from Red Bull, the organisation which appeared capable of bringing on new F1 champion drivers at will has struggled to find a suitable partner for the world’s finest driver. The ideal candidate will both contribute a reasonable proportion of Verstappen’s points and secondly not find their self confidence smashed to pieces by the sheer brilliance of the driver on the other side of the garage.

The team have burned the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Daniel Kvyat whilst partnering Max and now Liam Lawson is next to step up to the plate and expected and deliver a post 300 batting average (which is very good for non-baseball fans).

Yet Red Bull Racing had the perfect solution to their mounting Checo travails driven by the announcement Lewis Hamilton was leaving his Mercedes family to drive for Ferrari next season. Carlos Sainz, an experienced Grand Prix winner and one worthy of a top F1 drive became available and in that moment Red Bull had the solution to bridge the gap while they wait the development of Arvid Lindblad.

However, as Christian Horner revealed when announcing Lawson as the new Red Bull Racing driver this did not happen as reported widely because the parents of the two drivers do not get on, as evidenced with the time they shared at Toro Rosso.

“I think Carlos is a great driver and we’ve seen that obviously this year at some times,” Horner explained. “You’ve got to look at all the various criteria and dynamics.”

Steiner SLAMS Wolff

 

 

 

Sainz was the perfect foil for Verstappen

Dr. Helmut Marko explained to Spanish publication Marca earlier this year: “The atmosphere between the two at Toro Rosso was quite toxic. With the configuration we had then, I didn’t see a way to keep him with us, so Carlos went through Renault, McLaren and then he ended up at Ferrari.”

Really? We’re talking about a decade ago in 2015 when two young guns and their racing fathers were battling for the attention of the most influential person in the young F1 hopeful driver academy market. In fact Sainz since leaving the nursery of Red Bull young drivers the Spaniard has had to make his own way in the cut throat world of F1 securing a drive with Renault and McLaren before being called up on high to the mountain top that is Maranello.

This has required an incredible amount of skilful tact and diplomacy leaving Carlos Sainz one of the most PR savvy and well rounded drivers on the grid. Yet Christian Horner who could have driven the decision to over rule the concerns of the Verstappen’s about the impact of Sainz joining the team, was weakened earlier this year and a number of decisions in the Red Bull organisation appear now to be made by a collective.

Less than two days ago when asked for progress on the Red Bull power wow sitting to decided the future line up of their two F1 teams, Dr. Marko had this to say. “Negotiations are ongoing. I am positive that there will be a decision and an announcement this week.”

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Red Bull recruiting by committee

“It’s a complex story, you’re right. It was the first time that the shareholders were involved, but as I said, positive negotiations are ongoing,” claimed the 81 year old Austrian.

Further, when all around appeared to be deserting him his single public supporter at the season opener in Bahrain had been Sergio Perez, who unconditionally ridiculed the notion spread byJos Verstappen that the team was being “torn apart” by Horner.

That aside. Horner’s weakness combined with Marko’s determination to bring on new drivers from the academy programme saw the team pass on the most obvious choice as team mate for Max Verstappen. Yet the cupboard looks bare.

Turning to the decision to replace Perez with Liam Lawson, whilst widely expected, again this appears a strange decision from the Red Bull recruitment collective. What in fact do Red Bull want from the next partner to Max Verstappen is the question and Lawson’s choice does not provide the answer.

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Tsunoda was the no brainer

Yuki Tsunoda was the no brainer solution, though given he was provided with the opportunity due to the relationship between the team and Honda, his term behind the wheel of a Red Bull F1 car would likely have been short. Honda will supply Aston Martin with power units from 2026 and have made it clear they would like their driver to win them.

Tsunoda has had his best season during his four year long F1 career and whopped Lawson in Grand Prix qualifying 6-0 in their races together. He also has seen off Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo both of whom were expected to become the leader of the Red Bull sister team.

The reality Lawson is a stop gap solution while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen long term replacement finds his feet in international single seater juniper racing. Arid Linblad ages 17 who is the team’s next rising superstar but he was competing this season in the Italian F4 category.

Verstappen confirms Mercedes talks

 

 

 

 

RBR long term focus on Arvid Lindblad

Next year Red Bull have paved the way for him to jump straight into Formula Two who just lost a close fought fight this year to win the team championship. Of course the similarities to Verstappen’s F1ladder have already been made who completed just one year of FIA international F3 before making the leap to the F1 Red Bull sister team.

Mercedes are blooding their Verstappen-esque hopeful next season as Kimi Antonelli who at 18 years of age has competed over the last two seasons in F3 and F2. The current Red Bull driver conundrums are all focused on the young Italian who could be ready to take over when Max Verstappen decides his time with the team is over.

Yet the decision not recruit Sainz was not based on the best possible performer for the team, but around the internal struggle which emerged earlier this year and now Red Bull is deciding on its drivers by means of a committee.

Rosberg: “Norris is championship favourite, but…”

 

 

 

Colapinto advised to race “in this series” next season

Franco Colapinto burst onto the Formula One scene in 2024 as with nine Grand Prix weekends remaining he replace Floridian born Logan Sargeant. A poor qualifying session first time out in M ones saw the Argentinian start from eighteenth on the grid but an impressive drive in the Grand Prix meant franco was classified in twelfth place. 

Points in two of the next three races quickly established the young Argentinian as the talk of the paddock. Red Bull Racing expressed an interest in the Williams academy driver given their list of hopefuls to replace Sergio Perez looked weak after the test session filling the British Grand Prix.

Meanwhile in Japan, Ayumu Iwasa was treading the Red Bull academy path by completing a year in the series where the cars are closest for F1. Super Formula cars are superior to the International FIA junior racing categories of F2/3 and provide the nearest challenge drivers face when entering F1… READ MORE