The knives are definitely being sharpened for the Red Bull Racing management and Dr. Marko, following the catastrophic decision to replace the outgoing Sergio Perez with Red Bull junior Liam Lawson. Whilst the decision this week to switch the Kiwi with the often under rated Yuki Tsunoda may well prove to be correct, the process which could destroy Lawson’s confidence is far from what is expected of a multi-billion dollar organisation.

When the decision was made in December to promote the Kiwi ahead of his Japanese rival, Christian Horner revealed the decision had been tight and indeed “split” the room. This week Dr. Marko contradicts Horner’s original assessment claiming the decision to favour Lawson was in fact “unanimous.”

That discrepancy alone is enough to cause maximum discomfort to the upper echelons of Red Bull come the media rounds in Suzuka next week. To add insult to injury Milton Keynes is already leaking information though ‘sources close to the team’ that suggest Lawson was a broken man.

 

 

 

Red Bull ‘leak’ Lawson mental troubles

F1 journalist Craig Slater told Sky Sports that Red Bull insiders had been describing the New Zealander as ‘frazzled’ behind the scenes as he struggled to get to grips with the RB21. Yet Red Bull failed their young driver by failing to prepare him properly for his role alongside Max Verstappen.

Mercedes by contrast are believed to have organised some 60 days of previous car testing last year for rising star Kimi Antonelli who allegedly clocked up 10,000km in a two year old Mercedes F1 car. Whilst the car he has inherited this season is different, it will retain many of the handling characteristics of the car he tested in 2024.

By comparison Liam Lawson was thrust into the VCARB seat for the final six races of the season, replacing Daniel Ricciardo who was dismissed after the race in Singapore. Retaining the Aussie and giving the Kiwi thousands of miles of testing in a Red Bull has been argued would have been far better preparation for Lawson’s baptism of fire.

Yet Red Bull had other options to replace Perez, non other than Carlos Sainz who practically lay prostrate at the gates to Milton Keynes offering his services. Yet internal politics featuring Dr. Marko and Jos Verstappen resisted the proposal due to historical bad blood between the two fathers of the drivers when they raced together for Toro Rosso.

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Marko demands Red Bull juniors

Team boss Christian Horner confirmed he had held talks with Fernando Alonso over there potentially vacant seat, which clearly came to nought as the Spaniard re-signed in the summer for Aston Martin. Horner was also keen on the young Argentinian, Franco Colapinto who debuted spectacularly for Williams scoring in two of his first four Grand Prix weekends. 

Yet Dr. Helmut Marko put his foot down, claiming the organisation had an array of junior drivers who were capable of replacing Perez as Ralf Schumacher recently revealed: “Yes, and then there was Dr. Marko, who at that point said: ‘One second. we’ll take our juniors’ and I don’t see a junior next to Max Verstappen at the moment,” reported Sky Germany.

Now Schumacher reveals the Red Bull boss had his eye on another experienced driver to fill the seat alongside Max Verstappen. The surprise name he cites is Nico Hülkenberg, who eventually left the Haas F1 team to join the Audi F1 project with Sauber.

“The mistake from the beginning was not to let Nico Hulkenberg into the car. And that was Christian Horner who apparently still wanted him,” Schumacher reveals. “They needed a clear, experienced number two next to Max Verstappen. and I don’t think anything against Nico but that worked out well. He’s also great in qualifying, he’s great in races. and that was the big mistake.”

Red Bull in Chaos

 

 

 

 

Hulkenberg: A missed opportunity

Hülkenberg was not reported in the F1 media as a potential driver for Red Bull last year, which makes Ralf’s revelations all the more notable. Whilst Marko is running around the European F1 media to defend the decisions made concerning Liam Lawson, team boss Horner has remained above the fray.

“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races, and as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” said the Red Bull boss.

“We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions, to retain the World Drivers’ Championship and to reclaim the World Constructors’ title and this is a purely sporting decision. We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car,” he added.

Horner pitched theme as ‘driver rotation’ and that the team had a ‘duty of care’ to “protect and develop Liam, and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”

Red Bull ‘leaks’ Lawson’s state of mind

 

 

 

Tsunoda promised to the end of the year

Whilst all well and good, how Red Bull came to make such a spectacular mistake in the first place will be thee question the team’s management will face time and again come the Japanese Grand Prix next week.

Lawson has never raced in Alberta Park or at the Shanghai International Circuit and last time out team boss Horner claimed his driver would “thrive” in the RB21 when he arrived at circuits where he was familiar. Following his season in Japanese Super Formula, Lawson is incredibly familiar with the up coming Suzuka track, but Red Bull politics have put paid to that chance.

Tsunoda may yet struggle with the RB21 as did Lawson, yet the pressure appears to be off given Dr. Hamlet Marko has stated the Japanese driver will be given the rest of this year at Red Bull. Speaking today to the BBC, Marko said Tsunoda will be given until “the end of the season” at Red Bull to prove himself “because we believe he can do the job”.

For Yuki its the dream of a lifetime. Starting his home Grand Prix in a car technically capable of winning the race on Sunday. Even if a maiden GP win is out of the question, theres a realistic possibility that the Japanese driver could claim the first podium finish of his 90 Grand Prix F1 career.

Internal Red Bull disputes may be avoided over who is responsible for the ‘mistake’ of a decision to promote Lawson, but while Horner is remaining silent, Dr. Marko is trumpeting Red Bull reasoning to all who will listen.

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Marko reveals Verstappen’s thoughts over Lawson sacking

The good Dr. Helmut Marko, advisor to the Red Bull energy empire and head of the Red Bull young driver programme, is hastily doing the media rounds following the shock announcement that Red Bull were demoting the latest team mate of world champion Max Verstappen.

Red Bull started the 2024 season having smashed pretty much every F1 record there is the previous year, winning 21 of the 22 Grand Prix, claiming the constructors’ title with Max leading a 1-2 finish in the drivers’ title race.

And there were no early signs of trouble in Milton Keynes come the start of last season as Verstappen claimed victory in four of the opening five rounds and only losing out in Australia due to a huge brake failure as he was leading the race. Perez to was doing his part to continue the team’s record breaking run converting three of his team mate’s victories into 1-2 finishes along with a third place in China… READ MORE