Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, has explained why Yuki Tsunoda wasn’t chosen by the Milton Keynes team: “Liam impressed me”
The news was in the air: Sergio Perez, who had been under pressure at Red Bull for months, has been dropped and shown the door by the Milton Keynes outfit. His replacement? Surprisingly, Horner and Marko have chosen Liam Lawson, born in 2002, effectively snubbing Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, his teammate and former member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Speaking to ESPN after the decision to pick Liam Lawson, Christian Horner said: “It was a very close battle between the two. Yuki is a very fast driver, with three or four seasons of experience behind him. He performed very well in the Abu Dhabi tyre test, impressing the engineers with his performance.”
“As for Liam, analyzing the race data from his outings, he showed slightly better race pace compared to Yuki. They were very close in qualifying, but considering that Liam has only 11 Grands Prix under his belt, it’s clear he has room to grow and improve. He’s shown remarkable mental resilience and great determination.”
“There are a few qualities about Liam that have particularly impressed me. He’s incredibly versatile: you put him in a new situation, and he adapts quickly. Just think about his debut at Zandvoort, when Daniel got injured. Liam was immediately on track, going up against Max on his out lap.”
Horner: “Lawson has the grit of a true racer”
The British manager continued: “Liam has the grit of a true racer. In the past, he raced in DTM, adapting quickly to driving a Ferrari GT alongside Alex Albon, often coming out on top. His racecraft is one of his key strengths: he’s not afraid to go wheel-to-wheel and fight hard when necessary. I’m confident he’ll do an excellent job for us.”
“The engineers appreciated his commitment and professionalism this year. He has an excellent work ethic. It’s also great to know that Yuki will remain part of the Red Bull world next year, ready to step in if needed”, Horner concluded.
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing
