IndyCar legend Danny Sullivan defends Red Bull's F1 driver program

Former F1 driver and IndyCar champion Danny Sullivan has commended Red Bull Racing for its solid driver development program in F1. Though the 75-year-old agreed that the team's recent axing of Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda was unpleasant, he provided a more thorough picture of the program's past.

Sullivan was one of the main men who led Red Bull's driver search program in the early 2000s. The American driver, famous for his 'Spin and Win' at the 1985 Indy 500, suggested the idea of a driver development program that would help his fellow Americans make it into F1.

In 2006, two years after Red Bull Racing came into existence in F1, its junior team Toro Rosso signed Scott Speed. He became the first American driver since Mario Andretti in 1993 to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport.

In a recent appearance on IndyCar driver Conor Daly's Speed Street podcast on YouTube, Danny Sullivan spoke about Red Bull's driver program, saying [41:25 onwards]:

"Scott Speed - two and a half years from being in the Barber (Racing) School to being in Formula 1. I mean... you think about that. The program was genuine. I mean Red Bull, we all don't like what's happened to Lawson and different people, and the moving around, but they've had a very successful program for young drivers and they put the money up for it, which is even more important for all of us."

The Christian Horner-led Red Bull team continues to produce phenomenal F1 drivers through its development program. These drivers earn a seat in the junior team (Visa Cash App RB) before getting promoted to the senior squad. However, the second seat on the senior team has witnessed four drivers in the recent past unable to match teammate Max Verstappen, with Liam Lawson being the latest victim.

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IndyCar driver Conor Daly ruthlessly calls out Red Bull's "broken" driver development program

Conor Daly at the IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway - Source: Getty

IndyCar veteran Conor Daly was unhappy with Red Bull demoting Liam Lawson after only two races in the 2025 F1 season. The move was a response to Lawson's poor performances, leading to a swap with Yuki Tsunoda.

Daly, who has been on the receiving end of an axing in IndyCar in the past, questioned the purpose of Red Bull's driver development program if the team were going to be this ruthless with young drivers.

"Red Bull has a driver development program for a reason. They try to bring their folks through the system for them to get their chance, but those chances are immediately stripped away in a very wild fashion. I like Max (Verstappen) a lot. He's a good dude and one of the best drivers in the world, but I think Liam, for sure, deserved more of a chance than two races," Daly said on a previous episode of his Speed Street podcast [25:00 onwards].

The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver bluntly elaborated his argument, adding:

"It's a broken system. It disproves your leadership, it disproves anyone's confidence to work in your environment. When you are a Red Bull driver, it's literally the coolest thing ever. But how could you have faith in working with those people like Helmut Marko and the leadership there? Like unless you're Max, you're literally just nothing. I don't understand how you operate as a team like that."

The upcoming weekend from April 11 to 13 will witness an IndyCar and F1 double-header. The American series will head to Southern California for the 50th Long Beach Grand Prix, while its global counterpart will head to the Middle East for the Bahrain Grand Prix.