Those who have passed through the Milton Keynes team in recent years have often struggled to achieve strong results. Competing alongside Max Verstappen, the undisputed leader of Red Bull, has proven to be an almost impossible challenge for many—from Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon to Checo Perez. Now, the seat next to “Mad Max” belongs to Liam Lawson, who must approach the role at Red Bull wisely and avoid a common mistake.
An intelligent approach, steering clear of errors made by many before him, will be key to Liam Lawson’s success at Red Bull. This is the belief of former Red Bull driver Christian Klien. The Austrian raced for Horner’s team during its early seasons in F1, partnering with the experienced David Coulthard.
Klien warns Lawson: “Don’t make that mistake at Red Bull”
Stepping into a top team makes it easy to fall into the trap of overconfidence. “He needs to handle this opportunity carefully,” Christian Klien explained to The Business of Winning. “Now it’s up to him. Driving such a strong car is every driver’s dream. I think he has the talent, he’s very fast, and he’s mentally strong. He must take on this challenge wisely.”
By nature, a driver aims to excel and dominate. However, Klien believes Lawson must set that ambition aside for now. “He shouldn’t go to Red Bull with the primary goal of beating Verstappen. At this stage of his career, I don’t think that’s realistic. He needs to embrace the role of a great second driver and learn as much as possible from Max. By doing so, his time will come,” said the Austrian.
Learning from the past: “Red Bull has, and this is how they’ll handle Lawson”
Over the years, Red Bull’s second seat has been a tough challenge for many drivers. Sudden dismissals and mid-season changes have defined the management style of Horner and Marko, who have often placed heavy expectations on their second drivers.
The latest to endure Dr. Marko’s scrutiny was Sergio Perez. The Mexican, after a promising start at Red Bull, saw his performance decline significantly over the last two seasons. “It was clear they needed to make a change. Checo did a lot for Red Bull, but in the past year and a half, he lost his sharpness. I believe the situation had become mentally very tough for him, and the change was necessary.”
With Sergio Perez out, young Liam Lawson is in. The Australian, who has only competed in eleven F1 races, will need to be managed carefully by the team. “I hope they don’t put too much pressure on him. They made that mistake with Kvyat, Albon, and others. But I think they’ve learned from those experiences.”
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