What sense can be made of Red Bull’s merciless rejection of Liam Lawson?

On the flip side, there have also been many drivers given their opportunity to shine but, for one reason or another, were unable to seize the moment. Think of Jaime Alguersuari, Sébastien Buemi, Jean-Éric Vergne, Daniil Kvyat, and Brendon Hartley.

You add the list of drivers not previously affiliated with Red Bull but afforded a chance, only to be swiftly dispensed with, and the numbers rise considerably. Amongst them, we have Vitantonio Liuzzi, Scott Speed, Sébastien Bourdais, and Nyck de Vries.

Across the Red Bull family throughout its 20 years in Formula 1, the senior team and its sister outfit through its various guises – Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri, VCARB, and now Racing Bulls – no driver has been so brutally dealt with than Liam Lawson.

After just two Grands Prix, and a total of just 121 laps – taking into consideration the 19-lap sprint over the Chinese race weekend – Lawson has suffered the bitter ignominy of a demotion with immediate effect.

The merciless decision beggars belief given just three months previously Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had extolled the virtues of the 23-year-old New Zealander just 24 hours after it had been confirmed that Sergio Pérez’s services were no longer required.

Handing Pérez a new contract in early June through to the end of 2027 proved to be a mistake that cost Red Bull many millions. The team felt it had no choice but to sever ties with the Mexican following a shocking run of form that saw him score a miserly 49 points in the final 18 Grands Prix of last year that ultimately cost it the defence of its Constructors’ Championship.

Assessing the merits of Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, Horner and advisor Helmut Marko opted for the former, despite the fact the stats indicated their choice should have veered towards the Japanese driver.

In 11 Grands Prix as team-mates – five in 2023 after Lawson stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo after the Australian broke a bone in his hand following a crash in practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, and the final six of last season after Ricciardo was axed – Tsunoda had the upper hand, by a combined 11-4 in qualifying (including four sprints).

Horner, though, said he saw far greater potential in Lawson after 11 Grands Prix than Tsunoda, despite four years of experience. The understanding is neither Marko, especially, nor Horner are particularly big fans of Tsunoda.

Horner, perhaps alluding to Tsunoda’s often suspect temperament, as heard with his radio rants of the past, further eulogised over Lawson’s “attitude and ability to deal with pressure,” that he has “broad shoulders,” big enough to cope with the strain of being team-mate to “generational talent” Verstappen.

Whatever pressure Lawson was feeling going into the season-opening race in Australia, it manifested itself into his failure to exit Q1, and a crash in the wet on race day at Melbourne’s Albert Park, although he was not alone in that regard.

A few days later, knowing he needed to perform at the Shanghai International Circuit, double disaster struck Lawson, not only failing to escape SQ1 and Q1, but ending up slowest in both qualifying sessions.

Even allowing for the fact Lawson had never set a wheel on either circuit before doing so in an F1 car over those two weekends, the consensus inside Red Bull was there was no way he should be at the back of the grid.

The issue for Lawson, one that Pérez grappled with and was never able to overcome, is the Red Bull is specifically tailored to its four-time Champion Verstappen, who prefers a sharp front end, affording him the chance to be late on the brakes and get the power down early through a corner.

The RB21, an evolution of last year’s RB20 in which Verstappen started the season strongly with four wins in the first five Grands Prix, and seven of the first ten, has a lack of balance that even the Dutch driver is struggling to cope with.

That was apparent over the second half of last year when Verstappen won only two of the final 14 Grands Prix, holding on to at least clinch his fourth Drivers’ Title, whilst on the other side of the garage, Pérez capitulated and was ultimately sent packing.

Verstappen has gone so far as to suggest Red Bull is only the fourth quickest car this year on race pace, behind McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. In qualifying, there is the feeling it is also slower than the Racing Bulls.

Horner has said his team needs Tsunoda’s experience to help develop the car. Strange how that is only now being considered.

Regardless of Lawson’s performances over his two Grands Prix with Red Bull, there is the feeling amongst many that he should at least have been afforded the upcoming triple-header in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, to try to prove himself.

Lawson competed on the renowned Suzuka circuit on three occasions in 2023 – twice in Super Formula, and then in the Japanese Grand Prix in which he finished ahead of Tsunoda on race day – while he covered numerous laps of the Bahrain International Circuit in pre-season testing. At that point, Red Bull should have made the call.

The question now is what impact the decision has had on Lawson. As he said in an Instagram post, being a Red Bull driver had been his dream since he was a kid, a dream that has turned into a nightmare over the space of two weekends.

The words of Marko will only rub salt into Lawson’s wounds, remarking to Austrian publication OE24 that “under the increased pressure, he couldn't deliver from day one”, additionally comparing him to “a stricken boxer” who has “entered a downward spiral.”

The most withering comment was reserved until last, pulling no punches in stating Lawson’s appointment “was a mistake.”

Lawson has not been tossed aside entirely, instead being offered the chance to regroup and rebuild at Racing Bulls, but you have to wonder if he is now damaged goods in the eyes of Horner and Marko, similar to the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Kvyat.

All started out at the ‘sister’ team, were handed promotions to Red Bull, only to flounder. Despite aspirations of a return, they were never considered again. Gasly and Albon have at least moved on to Alpine and Williams respectively, and are performing to a high standard, highlighting to Lawson that all is not lost.

Horner has stated his team “has a duty of care” to Lawson, and dropping him now is more prudent than waiting for another few races and seeing what little confidence remains to disintegrate further. Regardless, the decision is still an extraordinary one.

As for Tsunoda, who has waited four years for this opportunity, will he thrive or crumble alongside Verstappen? The pressure will be like nothing he will have encountered previously.

He has 22 races – if he is even allowed that many given Red Bull’s ruthlessness – to prove he is worthy of a renewed contract for next season given the rolling deal he has been on these past few seasons.

It is a remarkable situation Lawson and Tsunoda find themselves in, each now needing to prove their value to the Red Bull family going forward. If not, then their names will be added to the pile of their discarded predecessors.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.