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Speculation Grows Over Red Bull’s Driver Line-Up as Lawson Faces Potential Replacement
Recent reports indicate that Liam Lawson may soon be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull Racing, starting as early as the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. As the season progresses, Red Bull is reevaluating its driver roster due to Lawson’s underwhelming performance.
This marks an early point in the season where discussions around a driver switch are underway. Despite no official announcement being made, paddock insiders have pointed to Tsunoda as a strong candidate for replacing Lawson amid growing concerns about the latter’s results.
Lawson’s performance has faced significant challenges this season. At the season opener in Australia, he faced difficulties, qualifying in 18th position and ultimately crashing out during the race. Aiming for improvement, Lawson struggled again in China, where he qualified last for both the sprint and the main races, finishing 14th and 15th respectively, with a gap of nearly a second per lap behind teammate Max Verstappen.
Reflecting on his struggles, Lawson expressed the need for more time to adapt to the RB21 car, stating to Sky Sports F1, “It’s just really tough, honestly. I think the window’s really small – I mean, that’s known – but honestly, it’s not an excuse.”
When Autosport approached Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, regarding Lawson’s request for time, he acknowledged Lawson’s valid concerns without confirming if the driver would receive additional opportunities to showcase improvements. This uncertainty appears to have fueled the discussions about a possible lineup alteration, particularly given Tsunoda’s impressive performance this season.
Tsundao’s season has been characterized by noteworthy progress, having qualified fifth in Australia and showcasing competitive strength despite a finish of 12th due to a strategic pit stop error. His strong showing continued in China where he finished sixth in the sprint race while successfully defending against challenges from rival teams. Unfortunately, a front wing failure during the main race affected his standings, leaving him to settle for 19th.
Marko has praised Tsunoda’s turnaround, noting, “Yuki is a different Yuki from the years before. He is in the form of his life.” He attributed Tsunoda’s enhanced performance to a change in management and a newfound maturity in his approach to racing.
As media speculation mounts regarding Tsunoda potentially moving up to the primary Red Bull team, many observers did not expect such decisions to arise so early in the racing season. In a media session after his strong performance in the sprint race, Tsunoda responded positively when asked about the possibility of swapping places with Lawson, emphasizing the advantage of the Red Bull car.
Following the recent race in Shanghai, it is anticipated that Red Bull will continue its discussions regarding drivers, with a decision on Lawson’s future expected in the coming week.
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