Red Bull’s Formula 1 team recently swapped drivers, with Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson to partner with Max Verstappen in their quest for championship glory.
- Former F1 driver, Christian Danner, warns that this move won’t address the fundamental problem: Verstappen is the only driver effectively managing the RB21 car.
- Lawson struggled with the Red Bull car, reminiscent of challenges faced by past Red Bull drivers like Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly.
- Verstappen’s unique driving style demands a car setup few can handle, likened to Michael Schumacher’s dominance with Benetton.
- The team faces a decision: cater solely to Verstappen or adapt the car to support his teammates.
Red Bull’s decision to switch Yuki Tsunoda with Liam Lawson has created a buzz in the Formula 1 community. The move, announced just ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, marks a strategic shift as Tsunoda takes on the challenge of joining Max Verstappen at the helm. Lawson, on the other hand, finds himself stepping down to the Racing Bulls junior team after only two races in the F1 2025 season.
Christian Danner, a voice from Formula 1’s past, cautions that this swap does not tackle the core difficulty within Red Bull’s paddock: the team remains overly reliant on Verstappen, who has an unparalleled aptitude for handling the RB21. According to Danner, simply rotating drivers doesn’t address the root issue, which is the vehicle itself. “Red Bull has a double problem,” he declares. “It’s not enough up front for Max to win races… It’s also very difficult at the back.”
Lawson’s challenges with the Red Bull car mirror those that Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, and others have faced since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the team in 2018. Verstappen has consistently outperformed his teammates, drawing comparisons to Michael Schumacher’s reign at Benetton, where the German legend’s contemporaries, including Verstappen’s father Jos, could not match his prowess. Danner suggests that the Red Bull machine, much like Schumacher’s Benetton, becomes “undriveable” for those who lack a specific set of driving skills.
Alexander Albon, a former Red Bull driver, has explained this phenomenon, noting Verstappen’s preference for an aggressively responsive front axle. Danner expands on this, comparing it to an experience shared by Gerhard Berger, who found Schumacher’s Benetton nearly lethal to handle, yet undeniably fast under Schumacher’s control. “It’s a question of driving style,” says Danner. “A philosophy only very few F1 drivers have mastered.”
The debate now centers around how Red Bull will navigate this dilemma. Danner probes whether the team should continue to orient their strategy around Verstappen’s needs or expand their focus to enhance the driving conditions for his teammates as well. Tsunoda, stepping into this high-pressure role, is rumored to be contemplating his position. “I don’t think it will be fundamentally different, even if you put Tsunoda in or someone else,” Danner speculates, urging the team to consider changes to the car rather than the drivers. “You have to take a very close look and analyze it very carefully.”
Red Bull’s leadership must decide whether to adapt their car to support more drivers or maintain a Verstappen-centric approach.
