Difficult moment for Liam Lawson: Helmut Marko opens door to Yuki Tsunoda replacement – Chinese GP. Helmut Marko is already hinting at a possible replacement with Yuki Tsunoda.

Liam Lawson finished the Chinese GP qualifying in twentieth place, struggling to handle the Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda is in top form and could become his replacement—at least according to Helmut Marko. The Japanese driver is currently at his peak after the Austrian team’s management initially chose the New Zealander over him.

Red Bull increasingly appears to be a car that only Max Verstappen can drive. As a result, the young driver selected by Christian Horner at the end of last season continues to face major difficulties. His last-place finish in qualifying perfectly reflects the situation.

Liam Lawson in Trouble, Yuki Tsunoda Ready to Step In?

Before joining Red Bull, Liam Lawson had never failed to reach Q2 in two consecutive races. First in Australia, now in China, the New Zealander will be forced to start from the back of the grid. After qualifying, Helmut Marko was asked about the situation within the Red Bull team.

“We have started and will continue to evaluate and analyze Liam Lawson’s data on track.” But when asked about a possible driver swap, the Austrian was quite firm: “F1 is a competitive sport.” A statement that leaves little room for interpretation. Without good results, the decision being whispered around the paddock seems inevitable.

“It’s really tough,” Liam Lawson told Sky F1. “The operating window is really small. It’s well known, but it’s not an excuse. I need to get the hang of it. It was a chaotic session, and if we hadn’t had to deal with traffic and things like that, maybe it would have gone well. We should be fast enough on our first lap; it shouldn’t be an issue. So I just need to get used to it.” These were Liam Lawson’s words.