“The engineers were worried” – Christian Horner revisits Liam Lawson’s exit and reveals future options. Christian Horner has once again addressed Liam Lawson's departure from Red Bull.

A decision that seemed almost inevitable. This appears to be the reasoning behind Christian Horner and Helmut Marko’s choice to promote Yuki Tsunoda to Red Bull, forcing Liam Lawson to part ways with the Milton Keynes team after just two races.

The New Zealand driver never showed signs of being on Max Verstappen’s level in his early outings. However, it must be noted that Max Verstappen managed to extract more than what the RB21 deserved in Melbourne and Shanghai, which undoubtedly influenced the team’s judgment.

The first car designed without Adrian Newey’s input already displayed several weaknesses during testing. In Bahrain, Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Waché, admitted concerns about the team’s performance. “We are behind our rivals,” he stated. His words were validated during the first two race weekends of 2025, despite the results Verstappen managed to achieve.

Christian Horner revisits Liam Lawson’s exit
Ahead of the Suzuka weekend—Yuki Tsunoda’s first as a Red Bull driver—Christian Horner spoke about Liam Lawson’s departure once more. “From a data perspective, it was quite clear how much Liam was struggling. The pressure on his shoulders was immense, and the engineers frequently came to me with concerns,” said the Team Principal.

“The decision we made was a logical consequence of what we saw on track. It certainly wasn’t easy, as it was a lifelong dream for Liam. But sometimes, you have to be tough,” Horner added. “That said, this is not the end of his career. I was clear with him—perhaps we asked too much, too soon. We know the talent he has, and for that reason, returning to Racing Bulls could be an opportunity for him.”