Horner: Lawson over Tsunoda a 'tight' call

Horner discusses the decision made by Red Bull to choose Liam Lawson instead of Yuki Tsunoda (2:11).

Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull, discusses the reasons behind the decision to choose Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen's teammate for the 2025 season instead of Yuki Tsunoda. (2:11)

Nate Saunders, Senior Writer for F1, December 19, 2024, 8:13 AM

Christian Horner mentioned that the choice to elevate Liam Lawson to Red Bull instead of Yuki Tsunoda was a close judgment.

On Thursday, Red Bull announced that Lawson will partner with Max Verstappen in 2025, taking over the spot previously held by Sergio Perez, who has departed from the team.

Lawson made his comeback to Red Bull this year, but he has only participated in 11 Formula 1 races so far. In contrast, Tsunoda has spent four seasons with the junior team and had the opportunity to test for Red Bull during the end-of-season tests in Abu Dhabi.

Even though Tsunoda has been performing well lately, Lawson's potential ultimately gave him the edge.

Horner noted, "The competition between them was extremely close. Yuki is an incredibly quick driver, and he brings three or four seasons of experience to the table. He did an excellent job during the tire test in Abu Dhabi, and our engineers were quite impressed with his performance."

When examining Liam's performance data, it's clear that his race pace has been a bit better in his recent outings. His qualifying speed was very competitive with Yuki’s, and considering Liam has only participated in 11 Grand Prix, we can expect him to improve significantly. He's demonstrated impressive mental strength and resilience throughout his races.

"Liam has really impressed me with his versatility," Horner mentioned. "No matter the situation, he adapts quickly. For instance, during his debut in Zandvoort after Daniel injured his fingers, he found himself racing against Max on his out lap."

He has a tough, competitive mindset typical of a racer. During his year in the DTM, he adapted remarkably fast to driving a Ferrari GT car, often outpacing Alex Albon. His skills on the race track are definitely one of his major assets; he's not hesitant to race closely and even make slight contact when needed. I believe he will excel in his role with us.

The engineers have appreciated collaborating with him during this year's activities. He has a strong work ethic, too. It’s wonderful that Yuki will continue to be part of the Racing Bull scene next year. Plus, he’s ready to step in anytime he’s needed.

Lawson is stepping into a position that could be seen as somewhat cursed. Since Daniel Ricciardo departed from Red Bull at the close of 2018, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and more recently, Sergio Perez, have all exited the team after struggling to match the performance of Max Verstappen, who just secured his fourth consecutive world championship this season.

Perez's lackluster performance last year resulted in Red Bull losing the constructors' championship.

Horner mentioned that Red Bull has gained insights from Perez's experience, which will assist Lawson in managing the pressure.

I believe the most important thing is to avoid overwhelming him with pressure, both from others and from himself, especially since he's racing against the top driver of his time. He should try to tune out the information about Car 1 and concentrate on his own team and what they’re working on. If he focuses on doing his best, everything will be alright. We’re here to support him in that effort.

"We're optimistic that next year we'll have a car that works well for him just like it does for Max, and we're eager to see how he performs."