Further insanity at Red Bull Racing

[Norphy]

Liam Lawson: Red Bull set to replace New Zealander with Yuki Tsunoda for Japanese Grand Prix - BBC Sport

 

Quote

Red Bull have delivered one of the most ruthless driver moves in F1 history after deciding to drop Liam Lawson after just two races.

 

The 23-year-old New Zealander will swap places with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda and return to Red Bull's second team, Racing Bulls, from the next race in Japan in a week's time.

 

The decision was reached by Red Bull bosses, including team principal Christian Horner, at a meeting in Dubai on Monday, insiders have told BBC Sport.

 

It is expected to be formally confirmed later this week by Red Bull, who refused to comment.

 

Red Bull have long been renowned for the ruthlessness with which they handle their young driver programme.

 

Even in that context, the way they have dealt with Lawson has caused widespread disbelief in Formula 1.

 

The move, first confirmed by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, comes after a dire start to Lawson's Red Bull career.

 

OK, I know the poor sod has had a poor start to the season, but dropping him after two races? That's insane. What happens if (probably when) Tsunoda puts in poor performances in that second Red Bull? Will they swap them back over? Will they put Hadjar in the RBR instead? They keep on doing this, but they never learn.

[timbo343]

Liam Lawson has actually got a promotion going back to RB. Yuki will either make it or his career is over.

 

The issue is the Red Bull car is so hard to drive that it's built for Max and no one else. There is a video on Youtube explaining this and why so many drivers find it so hard to drive.

 

If Lawson does well in the RB, that goes to prove it's the car and not the driver.

 

Let's see what happens in Japan

[jthompson]

On the one hand, this reeks of a team thrashing about and being powered by internal power struggles as much as anything else.

 

On the other hand, the degree to which this demonstrates a commitment to not doubling down on a mistake is almost admirable.

 

At this point, I don't know why they don't just rotate their non-title-contender drivers during a season as a matter of course, and run the team more like a grand tour cycling team, where domestiques are rotated about to support the effort of a single GC rider.

[PotNoodleTech]

No room at the top,  for people who aint at the top of their game.

 

It's a learning experience.

[jthompson]

I presume that one of the main reasons for having a young driver programme in the first place is to identify and promote drivers through lower formulae such that when they end up your F1 team(s) you're confident enough in their ability that you can commit to them, and not be half in/out unsure of their ability. With the exception of Verstappen, Red Bull seem unable to commit to any of their drivers. Their young driver programme seems to be training drivers for their competitors more than anything. Yuki Tsunoda has fared best, arguably, in that he's been in that seat for several years, but I get the sense that RBR have only done so reluctantly (because Honda?).