TOTAL DISARRAY FOR REDBULL DRIVER MANAGEMENT

The announcement has finally arrived: Yuki Tsunoda is officially a Red Bull driver and will make his debut with the Austrian team at his home Grand Prix in Japan, alongside Max Verstappen. The one paying the price is Liam Lawson, who has been demoted after just two races in which he struggled, particularly in qualifying.

It’s hard not to see this situation as absurd. Red Bull has always had a questionable approach to managing its junior drivers, but this time, they’ve taken it to another level. Lawson wasn’t even given a real chance to adapt to the 2025 car—just a half-day test in Bahrain plagued by technical issues, two practice sessions in Australia, and an hour in China. That’s nowhere near enough time to prove himself.

This feels almost like hysteria. Helmut Marko’s management, already under fire for his insensitive comments about Hadjar’s disappointment in Melbourne, seems increasingly chaotic and lacking a long-term vision.

For Tsunoda, this is a huge opportunity, but the real question is whether he can thrive in a team built entirely around Verstappen. As for Lawson, maybe this is actually a blessing in disguise—at Racing Bulls, he’ll have more time to develop without the immense pressure Red Bull is known for.

Either way, best of luck to both of them—go Yuki, go Liam.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri