The competition in F1 is cutthroat on all fronts, with only 20 seats up for grabs. If a driver doesn’t perform, they risk facing the axe. Liam Lawson is the latest to experience this, as Red Bull has officially demoted him to their sister team, RB, while promoting Yuki Tsunoda to partner Max Verstappen from the Japanese GP onwards.
Lawson’s stint at Red Bull has ended after just two race weekends—a record for a full-time driver at the Milton Keynes-based team. But this shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Red Bull has a history of dropping and replacing drivers without mercy.
Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Nyck de Vries, and even eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo have all been shown the door unceremoniously. And while these drivers understand the cutthroat nature of the sport, not everyone in the F1 paddock agrees with Red Bull’s approach.
For instance, when De Vries was sacked by AlphaTauri (now RB) just 10 races into the 2023 season, Lewis Hamilton was highly critical of Red Bull’s decision, arguing that the Dutchman wasn’t given a fair chance.
“That’s how Red Bull do it,” he stated.
Having worked with De Vries when he was a reserve driver for Mercedes, Hamilton knew how talented the ex-Formula E champ was. That’s why the Briton had a soft spot for him and singled out Red Bull as being more ‘brutal’ in its approach compared to the rest of the paddock.
“I’d say that’s how Red Bull works,” he said. “I was definitely surprised to see the decision they took with poor Nyck.”
Lewis Hamilton on the decision to replace Nyck de Vries pic.twitter.com/LsrKjxDfZO
— WTF1 (@wtf1official) July 20, 2023
The years have not softened Red Bull’s top brass either. Lawson’s dismissal has drawn criticism from many in the F1 paddock, further exposing the chaos of Red Bull’s driver management. Even their biggest asset, Max Verstappen, doesn’t seem to agree with the way Lawson’s exit unfolded.
Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde took to Instagram to call out Red Bull for being harsh with the Kiwi driver. He pointed out how this swift demotion could impact the 23-year-old’s mindset, considering the effort he put in to rise from Hastings, New Zealand, to chase his F1 dream. Verstappen liked the post, signaling his agreement.
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Why Lawson was picked over Tsunoda in the first place also remains a mystery. Many notable figures in F1, including Guenther Steiner and Zak Brown had questioned the team’s decision-making, with Brown saying, “Yuki did a great job. [He is] probably the guy who should be in the Red Bull if you look at how he’s performed, but they seem to make some strange driver choices from time to time.”
Lawson’s demotion was harsh. But it also presents an equally significant opportunity for Tsunoda. The Japanese driver was vocal about his disappointment over missing out on a promotion during the winter break when Lawson was given the nod. Now is his time to prove that Red Bull had made a mistake.
That said, Tsunoda has to justify this latest decision—otherwise, he could find himself facing a similar fate.
