Marko explains Lawson’s ouster: « When a boxer is cornered, you take him out of the ring »

Red Bull’s decision to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda after only two Grand Prix has shaken the Formula 1 paddock. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, justified this harsh choice in his column for Speedweek.com and during a detailed interview with Motorsport.com. Here’s a look back at the reasons given by the Austrian and the consequences for the drivers involved.

A downward spiral impossible to stop

According to Marko, Lawson’s demotion is not a punishment but a necessary move to protect the New Zealander’s future. The difficulties began as early as the Australian Grand Prix with a technical failure during the third free practice session, which prevented Lawson from completing crucial laps for his adaptation: “During the first race weekend in Australia, Liam suffered a turbo failure during the third practice session and couldn’t complete a single lap. From that moment on, the pressure on him increased. And so the mistakes piled up. This trend continued in China,” explains Marko in his column.

The Austrian advisor compares the situation to that of a struggling boxer: “He was simply cornered, like a boxer. And when a boxer is cornered, you take him out of the ring. But in his case, we have the safety net of our unique opportunity with a second team, so we’re keeping him in Formula 1.” Indeed, Marko insists: Red Bull isn’t abandoning Lawson but rather protecting him from a technical knockout that could be fatal to his career. He also points out that Lawson’s problems began as early as pre-season testing in Bahrain, where technical issues had already limited his mileage, creating a series of unfortunate circumstances.

A car difficult to master, even for Verstappen

Helmut Marko acknowledges that the RB21 is a particularly tricky car, with a very narrow optimal performance window. He describes this characteristic as an aggravating factor for Lawson, but also as a challenge for the entire Austrian team: “Another problem, which even Sergio Perez had to face in 2024 despite all his experience, is that the Red Bull, with its narrow optimal operating range, is a difficult car to drive. In addition, we are two to three tenths of a second behind the leaders, which makes things even harder,” he explains.

This sharp characteristic of the car was compared by Alex Albon to “a computer mouse set with extremely high sensitivity, making it almost impossible to control,” an analogy with which Helmut Marko fully agrees. He admits that even Max Verstappen is struggling with this car. The four-time world champion even reportedly defended Lawson, arguing that the car was too difficult to drive and that the New Zealander deserved more time.

“That conclusion is correct, and he [Verstappen] said so. But we explained to Max that, in order to win the championship, we have to do everything to get two cars in the top 10,” emphasizes Marko. Indeed, the fact that Lawson qualified 20th twice also weighed heavily in Red Bull’s decision, as such results were unsustainable in their title fight.

A precedent with Gasly and Albon

To soften the harshness of the decision, Marko recalls similar cases with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who were both replaced mid-season alongside Verstappen. These drivers later bounced back and continued respectable careers in F1: “This driver change with Lawson is nothing unusual. We’ve already done it with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who are still established F1 drivers and have successful careers,” he points out.

Marko especially emphasizes that Lawson is rejoining a competitive team with the Racing Bulls, and a car that’s easier to drive and capable of scoring points regularly. Red Bull’s motorsport advisor sees this transfer not as a demotion, but as a chance for Lawson to rebuild his confidence.

The transformation of Tsunoda

Helmut Marko also reflects on Yuki Tsunoda’s impressive progress. While the Japanese driver was known for his inconsistency, he seems to have reached a major turning point at the start of the 2025 season, his fifth year in Formula 1. “Yuki, as surprising as it may seem, is really solid in his fifth season. Overall, he is physically much stronger, exudes great confidence, and has had two excellent races,” he says.

He details this transformation by pointing to several factors: a change in management, a significantly improved physical preparation, and a new operational maturity. “His technical feedback — a point on which he had previously been criticized — was also very solid,” countering earlier criticism that Tsunoda didn’t understand the technical side well enough to get the best out of the car.

The Austrian advisor openly admits an error in the initial evaluation of the two drivers: “Yes, I’d say we made a mistake,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live regarding the original decision to choose Lawson over Tsunoda, even though the latter had already shown encouraging performances. Unlike Lawson, who was caught in a downward spiral, the Japanese driver demonstrated a new consistency and impressive performances in the first two races, especially in qualifying.

Express simulator sessions for Tsunoda in Shanghai

Contrary to what one might have thought, the test carried out by Tsunoda last year in Abu Dhabi with Red Bull Racing was not decisive in the current decision. Marko clarifies that the Japanese driver had two or three simulator sessions after Shanghai, and these were very convincing. This mainly helped reinforce the team’s confidence in his ability to handle the RB21.

These simulator sessions were organized in a hurry after the Chinese Grand Prix. Tsunoda, who had repeatedly stated he was “the right choice” for Red Bull Racing, was thus able to demonstrate his abilities.

Marko also states that the timing of the Japanese Grand Prix didn’t influence the decision, but that Honda’s support for Tsunoda is an important contextual element: “Honda is happy with the decision, that’s clear. But that wasn’t the decisive factor. Anyway, Honda’s involvement ends at the end of this year,” he points out, dismissing the idea that financial considerations related to the Japanese engine manufacturer influenced the choice.

A final decision for 2025 and hopes placed in Hadjar

Helmut Marko is unequivocal about Tsunoda’s immediate future with Red Bull Racing: “Yuki Tsunoda will finish the season [with Red Bull],” he confirms. This statement aims in particular to stop further speculation and give the Japanese driver the stability he needs to perform. In fact, Red Bull’s advisor assures that there won’t really be an evaluation criterion for the Japanese driver and that he doesn’t need to worry, notably recalling that Lawson qualified 20th twice and that it would be hard to do worse than that.

At the same time, he places high hopes in Isack Hadjar, who impressed during his debut with the Racing Bulls: “His debut was very solid, especially the speed with which he found his rhythm. In the race, he was still a bit slower, but that’s due to lack of experience. He is definitely one of our biggest hopes at the moment.”

Marko also dismisses rumors about Franco Colapinto, whose name had circulated as a potential replacement, and about any disagreement with Christian Horner on the matter: “All decisions were made unanimously,” he insists, specifying that the Argentine driver was “never seriously considered” for Red Bull, which viewed Hadjar as faster than Colapinto in Formula 2.

Likewise, the Austrian advisor firmly rules out the return of former drivers. On Sergio Perez, when asked if the latter had called since Lawson’s relegation to VCARB, Marko replies yes, but they had only talked about tequila. The Mexican driver, involved in a tequila business, even sent him a bottle, which he will receive at the Mexican Grand Prix, thus dodging the real topic with a light-hearted answer.

As for Daniel Ricciardo, the last driver to truly challenge Verstappen at Red Bull, Marko is categorical: his return “was never considered” because the Australian “has completely distanced himself from Formula 1” since his last race.