David Coulthard: “Liam Lawson is confident; Sergio Perez wasn’t on Max Verstappen’s level”. David Coulthard on Red Bull's decision to drop Sergio Perez in favor of Liam Lawson for 2025.

A changing of the guard at Red Bull
After recently slipping in the Constructors’ standings, Red Bull decided to part ways with Sergio Perez, opting instead for the youthful promise of Liam Lawson. For the New Zealander, his promotion to Red Bull marks the realization of a dream, but in this team, the dreams of second drivers often turn into sporting nightmares. Perez, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly all struggled to compete with Max Verstappen, often leaving with their reputations bruised.

Can Lawson succeed where others have failed? If even Sergio Perez, with a solid decade-long Formula 1 career before joining Red Bull, couldn’t withstand the challenge, the path for the “newly promoted” Lawson will undoubtedly be tough. However, David Coulthard believes Liam Lawson has the composure needed to make it work.

David Coulthard’s comments
“It’s a big opportunity for Liam, and he’ll face a lot of pressure. But as I’ve said before, pressure comes when you feel out of control. Right now, Liam feels pretty confident. He had a solid debut alongside Yuki (Tsunoda), and now it remains to be seen if he can take on Max, but it’s all in his hands,” said the Scot on *Formula For Success*.

Regarding Sergio Perez, David Coulthard had been critical of Checo’s performances during the just-concluded season, calling for his replacement by Lawson in 2025. While his opinion drew heavy criticism in Mexico, the scenario ultimately came to pass: “I received a lot of insults, but I was simply basing my opinion on facts. Checo is a brilliant man, and if this were a popularity contest, he’d still have his seat. However, the facts show that in 2024, he wasn’t on Max’s level, and that cost the team valuable points in the Constructors’ Championship.”