Red Bull's choice to start Liam Lawson alongside Max Verstappen in 2025 has raised some questions in the Formula 1 community. Did the Austrian team take too great a risk by promoting the young New Zealander, who only has 11 Grands Prix under his belt, facing the uncompromising Dutch quadruple world champion? And above all, why did Red Bull not choose Yuki Tsunoda, although more experienced and more efficient, winner of his direct confrontation with his two teammates (Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson) in 2024?
Faced with these questions, Helmut Marko does not hesitate to give sharp answers. The Austrian leader, far from being a fan of waffling, offered an explanation that was, to say the least, direct. “In terms of speed, Tsunoda is definitely the faster of the two right now, declared the advisor and head of the Red Bull young driver sector to the German media Sport. But he doesn't have the necessary consistency, he continues to make mistakes. » According to Helmut Marko, Yuki Tsunoda – despite his 87 Grands Prix and his four full seasons in F1 – still lacks mental strength, considering that the Japanese “slowed down and lost his composure” when he got angry at the wheel of the Racing Bulls.
Lawson is capable to accept that he will not be able to challenge” Verstappen
Since his debut in Formula 1 in 2021, Yuki Tsunoda has gained a bad reputation as a virulent driver when he is at the wheel of his car, with quite explicit and sometimes insulting outputs on his radio. In 2024, the protégé of the Honda clan was notably fined €40,000 for using offensive remarks about other drivers during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
“His outbursts have improved considerably but remain a problem. He loses control, believes the Austrian, who admits that Red Bull does not have full confidence in the behavior of the Japanese driver if he were to climb within the parent team. We think Tsunoda would face significant emotional issues if he realized he couldn't beat Max [Verstappen]or even get close to him, and things didn't turn out the way he had imagined.. Yuki Tsunoda therefore did not offer all the guarantees necessary to convince Red Bull to start him in 2025.
For Helmut Marko always, the choice to establish Liam Lawson therefore came down to mental strength and prospects for development rather than results on the track. The Austrian leader considers the New Zealander as “the mentally strongest among our junior drivers”. “He has the mental strength to run alongside Verstappen and accept that he will not be able to challenge the Dutchman”assures the 81-year-old ex-pilot. To be sure, we will have to wait for the first Grands Prix of the 2025 season…
READ ALSO > Lawson's goal at Red Bull in 2025: “Win the Constructors' Championship”
