Bad news for Liam Lawson as Red Bull admits mid-season swap possibility

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has stated that Liam Lawson needs to step up his performances to avoid a mid-season swap. Speaking to Sky Sport Germany, the Austrian expressed disappointment over the New Zealander’s lack of results and underwhelming performance in China.

Lawson qualified 18th on the grid in Australia before crashing out of the race. His struggles continued in China, where he was last in the sprint shootout and finished only 14th in the sprint race. In qualifying for the main race, the newly recruited Red Bull driver placed 20th. Over the last three qualifying sessions, he has not only had a significant gap to his teammate but has also been out-qualified by both Racing Bulls drivers.

Marko admitted that Lawson’s poor performances and results were unexpected. He revealed that the team would discuss the situation internally, emphasizing that Red Bull has a strong pool of junior drivers ready to step up if needed. He specifically praised Isack Hadjar, who, despite being a rookie, managed to outqualify Yuki Tsunoda. However, Marko had also remarked to Hadjar of his missteps, having called the French-Algerian driver “embarrassing” after he broke down in tears following a crash on the formation lap in Australia.

His comparison between Hadjar and Lawson serves as a clear warning—the Austrian veteran is unlikely to accept inexperience as an excuse for Lawson’s poor form. At 81, Marko remains as ruthless as ever in his talent evaluations, refusing to rule out a potential driver swap if Lawson’s struggles persist.

Asked about Lawson’s disappointing performance in China, the Red Bull advisor said:

“This is not what we expected. We will discuss it calmly. We still have a few drivers among them [Red Bull’s junior academy] who can recommend themselves. Thank God we are in a good position. Let’s look at the positives: Isack Hadjar, who has never driven on this track before, is banging out incredible times in his second race, making no mistakes. What he has shown so far is absolutely fascinating. The sun [Hadjar] and the shadow [Lawson] are close together and we’ll see what happens.”

Asked if Red Bull could swap drivers at any point in 2025, Marko replied:

“Formula 1 is a competitive sport. Ultimately, that’s what counts.”

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Christian Horner reckons Red Bull needs to help Liam Lawson with a good car

Red Bull Racing CEO Christian Horner believes that Liam Lawson needs the right tools to perform at his best in the Chinese GP. Speaking to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, the Briton acknowledged that the newly recruited driver had a difficult Saturday in China when questioned about his performance.

Horner remained non-committal when pressed further on whether a potential driver swap between Sergio Pérez and Lawson was on the cards. He stated that the team would assess Lawson’s performance internally, ensuring he had the best tools to deliver on race day.

Asked if Lawson’s dismal performance was a problem, Horner said:

“Well, it's been a tough day in the office for him today. So we'll have a good look at it and go through it. And obviously, try and give him the best car we can for tomorrow.”

Grilled about Red Bull buying out Perez from his contract to replace him with a quicker driver and if Lawson was that quicker driver, Horner said:

“As I say we'll have a good look at it and we'll do what we can tomorrow.”

With Yuki Tsunoda out-qualifying Liam Lawson for the seventh consecutive race weekend, Red Bull will find it increasingly difficult to ignore the growing performance gap. If the Japanese driver continues to impress while Lawson struggles, a mid-season swap would not be surprising—especially given Red Bull’s history of making swift driver changes.

Aside from Daniel Ricciardo, every teammate of Max Verstappen has faced a significant performance disparity. While the Dutchman currently sits second in the drivers’ championship, Lawson has consistently finished at the back of the grid in the same car. With McLaren and Ferrari emerging as strong title contenders, Red Bull will need a competitive second driver alongside the reigning champion to sustain its championship challenge.