Liam Lawson is the talk of the F1 town as he has grabbed the most sought-after seat on the grid. Confirmed to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, Lawson has marked an astronomical rise in his career by just making 11 appearances in his brief spell at the biggest motorsport series.
His main opposition for this seat was Yuki Tsunoda, who relatively had more credentials and experience. Still, Red Bull snubbed the Japanese race driver despite him expecting the nod from the hierarchy.
How Yuki Tsunoda felt about his performance compared to Liam Lawson earlier this year… pic.twitter.com/jiiZshgV2f
— Autosport (@autosport) December 19, 2024
Moreover, Carlos Sainz was also available in the market for a long time but Red Bull didn’t opt to hire him. Red Bull picking Lawson despite having arguably better options has attacked some criticism towards them.
But Lawson is paying no heed. When Craig Slater asked about such reactions from the fans, the Kiwi race driver replied, “The easiest thing is just not to read it and I think that’s what I’ve learned from being in my short time in F1.”
“I know that it won’t make everybody happy, but for me, it’s an extremely exciting opportunity and for me, I’m just focused on making the most of it,” said Lawson.
It’s not the first time that Red Bull has decided to go for younger drivers instead of more experienced options. The ability to make this gamble has given them Max Verstappen. But at the same time, it has also backfired.
Do or Die for Lawson
Red Bull is known to give a push to its younger drivers. It’s on them to either swim to the other shore or drown under pressure. In the past, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Daniil Kvyat, and many more have been victims of the same policy.
Meanwhile, Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel thrived. Lawson sees himself at the same crossroads, and Christian Horner subtly hinted that they won’t hesitate to give Lawson a boot and hire Tsunoda if things don’t match their expectations.
“It is great to have Yuki still involved with the Racing Bull scene next year. And of course, he’s on standby should he ever be required,” said Horner.
Being Verstappen’s teammate isn’t an easy task. The Dutchman winning the championship, while Sergio Perez finished P8 in the championship with the same car is a testament to that.
