Yuki Tsunoda – Liam Lawson comparison: 6-0 in qualifying no enough to move up to Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda prevailed in the direct comparison with Liam Lawson, but it wasn’t enough for promotion to Red Bull.

Debated promotion
Liam Lawson’s promotion to the Red Bull team for the 2025 Formula 1 season has sparked much debate among Formula 1 fans. The New Zealander defeated the competition from Yuki Tsunoda, securing a spot alongside the four-time world champion, despite having much less experience in the Circus than the Japanese driver, who has been a full-time F1 driver since 2021 and has already participated in 90 race weekends, compared to Lawson’s mere 11 GP appearances.

The two had already raced together in 2023 for five races, when Liam Lawson replaced the injured Daniel Ricciardo for a few weekends. However, the real head-to-head that seemed to interest the higher-ups at Milton Keynes – Christian Horner and Helmut Marko – was the one over the last six races of 2024, when Lawson was promoted (once again replacing Daniel Ricciardo) to a full-time seat.

The numbers favor Yuki Tsunoda
In these six rounds, it’s true that Liam Lawson showed overall speed similar to his more experienced teammate, thus confirming that he is more than capable in F1. However, the numbers all lean in Yuki Tsunoda’s favor: the most telling stat is the 6-0 score Lawson received from the #22 in qualifying. While Liam Lawson triumphed twice out of three in Sprint qualifying (and in the Sprint races), Yuki Tsunoda always had the edge in the outright qualifying laps.

Even in the races, where points are earned, Yuki Tsunoda came out on top: in the four GPs both drivers finished, the more experienced of the pair won the direct comparison 3-1. In terms of points earned, Yuki Tsunoda scored eight points in the last six GPs of the year, compared to Lawson’s four.