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Liam Lawson revealed his “shock” that Red Bull was abandoned, because team director Christian Horner explained the reasons to make a “terrible” decision.
Red Bull last week remarkably decided to degrade Lawson into his junior racing bulls only two races to his first campaign with the team, with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda promoted this weekend before his home race.
The decision was made only more than three months after Lawson was selected over Tsunoda as the ruling world champion Max Verstappen, after bad performances from New Zealand in Australia and China.
Speak solely Sky Sports F1 On Wednesday in Tokyo Lawson said, “It was certainly a shock, honestly. It’s not something I saw to come.
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Craig Slater explains why Liam Lawson was exchanged with Yuki Tsunoda after only two races of the Formula 1 season from the next week of the Japanese Grand Prix.
“I think the discussion we had also really tilted in this respect, so it was definitely not something I expected.”
Red Bull has developed a ruthless reputation for changes in the middle of the season in the drivers sets, but the speed of the latest team switch was unprecedented.
While Lawson’s struggles were extreme during the first two rounds, they both came to the districts where he had no experience, and many in Paddock were stunned that the team did not expect him to see him in action on a track he was more familiar with, such as Suzuka.
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David Croft believes that Liam Lawson was supposed to get more time on the Red Bull seat, but he thinks he will benefit from a step back with racing bulls.
Asked if it was frustrated by a lack of time allowed him, Lawson said: “Honestly, yes. It is obvious that I would have more time.
“And I felt like more time, especially to go to the places I was before … it was a hard start. We had rock testing. We had a rock first weekend in Melbourne with practice. And then China was apparently sprint.
“I think going to the places I had been with the way the car was quite delicate, I think it would help and I would love this opportunity. But of course, it’s not my decision, so I’m here to make the best use.”
HORNER: We asked Lawson too soon
While degradation will undoubtedly humiliate for Lawson, the episode is also very embarrassing for Horner advisors and Red Bull Helmut Marko, who have the last word in the team driver.
Lawson drove only 11 Grands Prix – across two separate spells with racing bulls – when he was selected above Tsunoda.
Also speaking exclusively Sky Sports F1 On Wednesday, Horner took responsibility for requesting “too too early” from the 23 -year -old.
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Listen when the Liam Lawson apologized in Radio Red Bull Team Radio after the difficult Chinese Grand Prix, which saw him ended in 12th place, in what is ready to prove his last trip for the team before replacing it Yuki Tsunod.
“Of course it is terrible because you take someone’s dreams and desires, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, and I think it’s not the end in this case.
“I was very clear with him, it’s that it’s a sample of two races. I think we asked you too soon.”
“We have to accept, I think we asked him too early. And so it is for him to raise the talent we know that he has, back in the racing bull’s seat, and to give Yuki the opportunity and try to take advantage of the experience.”
In the opening stages of the season, Red Bull seemed very difficult to drive, and Verstappen was eliminated in Australia second and fourth in China.
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Karun Chandhok and Bernie Collins ask why Red Bull did not follow a similar test plan as Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli when introducing Liam Lawson.
Horner says that admission in the team, that they need to quickly develop RB21, was the main point of view in promoting a more experienced Tsunod, which completed four seasons in F1.
“We have a job with a car,” Horner said. “We have to improve the car. We have to draw on the experience that Yuki has.
“In the meantime, you have to go (Lawson) to go and build up in racing bulls, in an environment you know, and maybe a little less under pressure than Red Bull Racing.”
“Engineers were worried about Lawson”
Horner, who persuaded him to persuade him to make a decision, said that the engineers were “concerned” to what extent Lawson mentally fought the situation.
He said, “I think with everything we saw in Australia and China, you saw that it really influenced Liam quite badly.
“We could have left it and I think Liam is a driver with talent. Maybe he would get there in half a season, but we just don’t have that much time.
“It was something that was very clear on the engineering side of the team how much Liam was fighting with it, and you saw the weight on his shoulders.
“The engineers came to me very concerned with me, and at the end of the day I think it was a logical thing.”
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Bernie Collins and Ted Kravitz provide insight into how they think Yuki Tsunoda will perform when he is taking a step out of junior team racing bulls to Red Bull. Now you can listen to the latest podcast the F1 show.
Lawson is adamant that his driving style is nothing that would be particularly demanding for him, but that he simply needed more time to customize.
“It’s not really for me,” Lawson said. “The car is hard to drive. But we went through the process of how to make this adaptation.
“It is sincere time for me. But the way he went the weekend, in Formula 1, in the pre -season test, you are driving all day and you have a lot of time to customize and similar things. So honestly, lack of time in the car is really the biggest thing for me to make it adapt.
“Every session we went out has adapted a little or used to something that was a little unknown. It’s not so much driving style or something like that. It’s just literally customization. And I just didn’t have time for me.”
“Verstappen surprised by the speed of decisions”
There was speculation that Verstappen was Saga as a result of the Instagram post, which included the criticism that Red Bull contained his official account that contained criticism of Red Bull.
The Dutchman’s future is already a team with a team in the middle of the long -term interest of Mercedes and Aston Martin, but Horner gave the impact of a decision on Verstappen.
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The F1 show identifies some problems that Red Bull must solve before the rest of the One Formula One season.
“I think he was surprised at speed. But he also saw how much Liam was fighting,” Horner said.
“He knows where we have to improve on the car. He worked really hard with the engineering team.
“Last week we had a very good session with him, where he focuses very much on improving the car and finding the last few tenths to really get us on condition with McLarens ahead.”
Verstappen will have the opportunity to share their thoughts of the situation when they fulfill their media duties on the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday.
Thursday 3rd April
- 5:00: Driver’s press conference
Friday 4th April
- 3AM: Japanese practical GP one (session starts at 3.30 pm)*
- 5.30: 00: Team directors press conference
- 6.45: 00: Japanese practice GP Two (session starts at 7 o’clock)*
- 8.15: 00: Show F1*
Saturday 5th April
- 3.15: 00: Japanese practice GP three (session starts at 3.30 pm)*
- 6:00: Japanese qualification of Japanese GP*
- 7:00: Qualification of Japanese GP*
- 9:00: Ted’s qualifying notebook*
Sunday 6th April
- 4.30: Setup of Japanese GP: Sunday Grand Prix*
- 6:00: Japanese Grand Prix*
- 8:00: Japanese GP reaction: chessboard*
- 9:00: Ted’s notebook*
*Live also at the main Sky Sports event
Formula 1 heads to the iconic SUZUKA for the Japanese Grand Prix on 4.-6. April, lives on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – no contract whenever cancel
