It was rumored for a long time, on Thursday (March 27, 2025) the racing team officially announced: at Red Bull After only two racing weekends the new pilot Liam Lawson exchanged.
The reason: the New Zealander did not deliver. In the three races so far, the overall undeveloped 23-year-old remained without any point. But not only that: in two out of three Qualifying Was Lawson last, divided with rainy Grand Prix in Australia and only finished twelve (sprint) and 14 in China.
For Red Bull this is two things: a embarrassment on the one hand and a disaster on the other. Because for the one under the flag of Austria team Only one thing counts: the next world championship title for Max Verstappen. And that doesn’t just need “King Max “, but also a strong colleague in the second car.
No hand for number 2?
What for Michael Schumacher Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello In his successful times at Ferrari or Valtteri Bottas as a protective shield for Lewis Hamilton In strong years at Mercedes, Verstappen also needs: a colleague who is subordinate to the “helper” and “stirrup holder”, but which, above all, almost as quickly as the four-time Formula 1-champion is.
And at this point it is always a problem with Red Bull. The list of teammates who tried to keep as No. 2 at Red Bull is long: Pierre GaslyAlex Albon, Sergio Perez and Now Lawson, who is to be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda by Red Bull’s second team, the Racing Bulls, in the top team. A special honor for the Japanese before his home race in Suzuka.
Lacking talent?
If teams in the “premier class” opt for pilots, the driver’s talent is usually undisputed. They often went through the training programs of the driver’s forging such as Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull. Most of them were very successful in the youth series such as Formula 2 or Formula 3. But why is it that they are so difficult in Formula 1?
There are two reasons for this: On the one hand, the designers, planners and motorsport bosses always move at the limit of developing the cars. With the most complex use, a lot of money and high competence in “rocket science F1 racing car”, the aim is to somehow work out a few thousands of time in the regulations. When dealing with these high -performance vehicles, the pilots then – with all the talent – reach their limits.
The pilots have to get used to the technical developments – but there is no time for that. Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari and much more newcomers like Lawson have to and had to experience this painfully at the beginning of this season. With the big difference that Hamilton is an old hare, has a lot of experience with dealing with new material and despite great criticism after the first race in Australia made the victory at the sprint in China. In terms of experience, there are dimensions between Hamilton (358 races) and Lawson (13 races).
The thing with the stradivari
But the fact is almost even more important for the drivers: “How does the car fit my driving style?” It is like that – the cultural -interested may forgive the comparison, which is very apt – as with a violin or wing for a professional musician: wood, structure, type of strings – every music professional gets better or less well with another instrument. Without being able to change the instrument fundamentally.
In principle, it is very similar with the cars: the engineers are looking for the best vehicle that fits the individual outstanding skills of the top pilots. For example, it is about the coordination of how the car behaves in fast and slow passages. Or how and when a pilot brakes. And above all: How gently do the driver and car – perhaps the most difficult discipline in Formula 1 – deal with the tires?
The crux with the geniuses
It is worked on and designed and calculated for the winner – in the case of Red Bull, Max Verstappen is a pilot who is equipped with really extraordinary skills.
And in the end there is a car on the asphalt that is tailored to exactly one pilot. The second in the team, who, because of its other, often very good, has the prerequisites again and again.