A rocky start for Liam Lawson in Formula One – Liam Lawson’s much-anticipated Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix did not go according to plan. In a race full of unpredictability, the New Zealander failed to take advantage of key opportunities, leaving Red Bull with serious questions about his future.
Despite a chaotic opening lap that saw three drivers retire, Lawson was unable to make up any positions and was one of four rookies not to take the chequered flag. His inability to capitalise on the changing dynamics of the race has sparked immediate speculation about Red Bull’s confidence in his abilities, particularly given the fierce internal competition within the team.
Lawson’s struggles over the weekend were evident from the outset. A disappointing qualifying session set the tone, and in the race he was not only outpaced by his team-mate, but actually lapped. This uncomfortable statistic is reminiscent of the situation in 2019 when Pierre Gasly suffered a similar fate at Red Bull – one that ultimately led to his demotion from the senior team.
What makes Lawson’s poor performance even more glaring is the contrast with other rookies on the grid. Starting from a similarly difficult position, Andrea Kimi Antonelli produced an impressive drive to finish fourth. His ability to cope with the difficult conditions fuelled speculation as to whether Red Bull had made the right choice in promoting Lawson over other available candidates.
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Lawson and Red Bull respond to speculation
Following the race, Lawson acknowledged his disappointing performance and took full responsibility for his underwhelming debut. Despite the tough outing, he remained determined to bounce back at the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix.
“There’s not much positive to take away from this weekend to be honest,” admitted Lawson. “I’m just looking forward to China and a fresh start. I’ve been through this before in my career and I know I have to get through it.
While some may have questioned the team’s strategy, Lawson was quick to clarify that the decision to stay out longer on dry tyres than his rivals was a collective one. Unfortunately, the gamble did not pay off.
“No, the strategy was a collective decision,” he explained. “We took the risk together, but in the end I had to apologise for the crash. We were hoping that part of the track would stay dry, but the rain got heavier and heavier. At that point it was just impossible to continue.”
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Horner defends Lawson
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner also came to Lawson’s defence, acknowledging the difficulties faced by the young driver. Horner admitted that the team’s strategic risk did not pay off as expected, but was reluctant to place too much blame on Lawson.
“It was a tough weekend for Liam. We adjusted the car to generate more downforce, but it’s still a track where overtaking is difficult. We tried to take a risk by taking him out, but that was when the rain started to come down even harder. He spun, but it’s hard to blame him.
Despite the setbacks, Horner pointed to a silver lining – Lawson had one of the fastest lap times in dry conditions, suggesting that his raw speed was not the issue. However, translating that potential into consistent race performances remains a challenge.
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Yuki Tsunoda and the battle for a Red Bull seat
Lawson’s underwhelming performance in Melbourne has intensified the debate over Red Bull’s second seat, with Yuki Tsunoda emerging as a serious alternative. The Japanese driver has been waiting for an opportunity to step up to the senior team, and his strong showing in Australia only reinforced his case.
Tsunoda’s race was a testament to his skill and determination. Despite a strategic misstep by his team, he managed to hold off both Alexander Albon and Lewis Hamilton for much of the race, demonstrating impressive racing and defensive skills.
Although he ultimately failed to score points, his performance did not go unnoticed.
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Red Bull seat target for Tsunoda
Tsunoda remains vocal about his ambition to secure a Red Bull seat, and makes it clear that he has not given up on that goal.
“I still want that Red Bull seat one day, but the decision is not mine,” said Tsunoda after the race. “I had three phone calls from Helmut, Christian and Laurent before the announcement. I understand, but I will keep doing my job and keep fighting.”
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Tsunoda’s comments was his suggestion that Red Bull’s decision to promote Lawson may have been politically motivated, rather than purely based on performance.
“I didn’t really ask why Liam got the seat and not me,” he revealed. “Christian said it wasn’t about performance and from what I’ve heard from others it was a political decision. I don’t know if that’s true, but it is what it is”.
If Lawson fails to improve quickly, a driver swap with Tsunoda could become a realistic possibility for Red Bull. Further complicating the situation are Red Bull’s ongoing discussions with the FIA regarding the super-licence status of Arvid Lindblad, a promising talent who could be in contention for a seat with the Racing Bulls from 2026. These considerations could force Red Bull into making some difficult decisions about its current driver line-up.
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How much time does Lawson have?
The biggest issue for Lawson is the lack of time to develop at his own pace. Red Bull operates in a high-stakes, results-driven environment and the team cannot afford long-term experimentation, especially as it fights to maintain its dominance in the Constructors’ Championship.
One of the main concerns is the growing pressure on Max Verstappen. Red Bull’s current success has been largely dependent on Verstappen’s relentless consistency, but the team are aware that they cannot afford to rely solely on their lead driver. If the second driver struggles to consistently deliver points, Red Bull could find themselves in a vulnerable position – one that could put them in an even worse scenario than last season when they struggled with team-wide consistency.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown did not hold back in his assessment of Red Bull’s driver choice, suggesting that Tsunoda would have been the better option from the outset.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting season,” said Brown. “Yuki has done a great job. He probably should have been the one to get the Red Bull seat, looking at the way he’s been performing. But Red Bull sometimes make strange decisions.”
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Bottom line
With the season still young, Lawson has a chance to turn things around, but the pressure is mounting. His speed on dry tyres was a positive sign, but mistakes and poor results in Melbourne have cast doubt on his future.
The next few races will be crucial. If Lawson fails to make significant progress, Red Bull may have no choice but to make an early-season change. Whether that means swapping him for Tsunoda or looking further down the driver pipeline remains to be seen.
What is certain, however, is that Red Bull’s patience is limited and Lawson is already running out of time to prove he belongs at the top level.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
this was a poorly thought out story. His car was compromised, he missed practice and a short quali, the judge makes it sound like everything was on a level playing field all weekend, the car would still have failed if it was Perez or Tsunoda in the car.
Horner said they took a gamble in the wet, if it paid off, great, if not, nothing ventured nothing gained.
I didn’t see many, if any other slick runners survive the rain either, so that disproves any theories that Liam was incompetent when his car spun out.
Judge whilst lacking credibility before, is now even lower in my estimation.
This coming from McLaren fan too.
Your 100 percent right. They even pitted Max a lap earlier, as even he was struggling on the same tires, and we know how good he is in the wet. If they had pitted Lawson atleast they would’ve had some good data to compare the 2 drivers to in equal conditions.
How many times did Perez fail to deliver before hee got the boot? I don’t believe Lawson’s seat is in jeopardy at all, but don’t let the truth ruin a great headline right?
Tsunoda is a Honda driver, the only reason he was not dropped many, many crashes ago is because of the former deal Honda, and Redbull had. Now that Red bull is confirmed to be working with Ford Performance on their own in house engines for the 2026 rule change, there is no way Tsunoda will ever get that seat. He has had more grace than any other drivers in the sport, he has 91 starts to his name, and only gotten 91 points in that time. Often blames the car/team for his crashes. He had the potential to be great, but now he is about to be without a drive for next season, as VCARB will be taking the Ford Performance/Redbull power units. He has never had a victory, or podium in F1. Great drivers do great things, Vettel gave Toro Rosso, now VCARB their first, and only victory since. Even Max Verstappen, was not able to equal that accomplishment whilst with the team, as talented as he is. Tsunoda has had his chances, he has not taken them. Now people are trying to compare apples to oranges, Tsunoda is a veteran driver whoms potential has not been par with his performances. It would be foolish on so many levels to ever put him in that Redbull car, least of all now that the team that installed him (Honda) is going to be powering Aston Martin next year.
Ferrari shud never have dropped sainz for Hamilton big mistake, RBR Yuki shud b inches sister car is only driver that has the hunger and balls to put up to Max if not match him he beat him, Lawson 4/5 races make no headway get d boot in comes Yuki.