According to Speedcafe.com, Bernie Collins has stressed the substantial impact of Honda’s undisclosed sponsorship of Yuki Tsunoda for his continued tenure at AlphaTauri. The former Aston Martin strategy engineer pointed out the crucial financial support for the Japanese driver which is reportedly an annual $10 million contribution from Honda to Red Bull.
In Formula 1, where financial considerations often sway decisions, sponsorships play a pivotal role in shaping driver lineups. Collins draws attention to cases like Lance Stroll, supported by his billionaire father at Aston Martin.
Bernie Collins argues that Liam Lawson should have secured a spot on the team based on his commendable performance. In light of this during her conversation, Collin said, “It’s a pity in F1 that some things are led by sponsors, some things are led by dealings, whatever, but on pure performance, he should be in a car, he should be in a seat.”
Subsequently, Collins also underlined her perspective on the potential prowess of an AlphaTauri duo consisting of Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo.
She said, “Arguably, that should have been the AlphaTauri seat with Daniel Ricciardo because you would have a very strong line-up of a young guy that’s clearly very good, and Ricciardo who has very strong pace and a lot of experience.”
What opportunities does Liam Lawson have now that Alpha Tauri has endorsed Yuki Tsunoda?
Liam Lawson made a remarkable F1 debut when he stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo in five races, finishing P9 at the Singapore GP. His impactful performances sparked speculation over AlphaTauri’s driver pairings for the next season. However, despite Lawson’s aspiration for a full-time seat with the team, Yuki Tsunoda retained his position for 2024.
In a candid interview on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Lawson reflected on his prospects for the upcoming season after not securing a contract for 2024. During the conversation, the New Zealand driver stressed his inclination to remain dedicated to his role as a reserve driver for both Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
Lawson said, “There’d be no point. I can’t do Super Formula again. I could, but there’s less benefit from doing it. So I think it’s full focus on being reserve.” Subsequently, he highlighted the advantageous outlook on the learning opportunities from simulator work, noting that he is gaining insights from one of the premier teams.
The Kiwi driver said, “I’ve been two years now, nearly, as a reserve so I’ve done lots of simulator work over the last couple of years and that will just continue now into next year, and getting to learn and basically absorb being alongside the best team in Formula 1 right now.”
Certainly with his impressive performances, Lawson has demonstrated his worthiness for a place in F1. However, Red Bull‘s decision to stick with Tsunoda for 2024 closed the opportunity for him. Considering that when asked about understanding Red Bull’s driver selection, Lawson responded contemplatively.
The 21-year-old said, “Yes, it’s extremely frustrating, but I’ve been able to sit there and understand at the time of this decision, why this makes sense.” Nevertheless, despite the challenges stacked against him, Lawson expresses unwavering commitment to Red Bull, viewing it as the potential gateway to an F1 opportunity.
