Christian Horner has revealed his reservations regarding Liam Lawson’s brief tenure at Red Bull in 2025, asserting that the New Zealander “really shouldn’t have been promoted in the first place.” These comments emerge from Horner’s new autobiography, ‘Drive’, where he reflects on the decision to replace Sergio Pérez with Lawson in December 2024.
Horner expressed discomfort with the promotion, citing Lawson’s inexperience with only eleven Formula 1 races completed at that point. He noted that Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko was the primary advocate for Lawson’s move to the senior team.
The former team principal also accused Marko of internal political maneuvering. Horner claims Marko informed Lawson that his influence was responsible for securing the Red Bull drive, a claim Marko later denied when challenged. Marko has since admitted that Red Bull made a “mistake” with Lawson’s promotion.
Lawson’s stint with Red Bull lasted only two races. He encountered difficulties during pre-season testing and struggled with the handling characteristics of the RB21 car.
At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Lawson qualified 18th and subsequently crashed out of the race. In China, he qualified last for both the sprint and the main race. Lawson failed to score any points during his two races for Red Bull.
Horner drew parallels between Lawson’s situation and those of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, suggesting that the promotion to Red Bull came too prematurely for the young driver. Following these initial struggles, Red Bull replaced Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda before the Japanese Grand Prix.
Honda, Red Bull’s engine partner at the time, reportedly welcomed the decision to promote the Japanese driver, Tsunoda. Lawson was then demoted back to the junior Racing Bulls team.
Christian Horner himself was dismissed as Red Bull Team Principal and CEO in July 2025. His departure occurred 17 months after allegations of inappropriate behaviour, though he was cleared following an internal investigation.
Horner has indicated that he believes his dismissal may have been linked to a shift in Red Bull’s corporate culture and a perception of his excessive influence within the team, particularly after the passing of Dietrich Mateschitz. Laurent Mekies succeeded Horner as CEO of Red Bull Racing.
Despite his challenging start at Red Bull, Lawson rebounded in the remainder of the 2025 season with Racing Bulls. He finished 14th in the driver standings, accumulating 38 points, including a career-best fifth place in Azerbaijan.
The 2026 Formula 1 season has seen Lawson deliver a strong performance for Racing Bulls-Red Bull Ford. He has scored points in 12 of the 17 races contested so far, along with three Sprint events.
Lawson has achieved a career-equalling best finish of fifth place in both the Monaco Grand Prix and the Singapore Sprint during the current 2026 season. He currently sits ninth in the drivers’ championship with 75 points, making him the highest-ranked driver outside the top four teams.
In 2026, Lawson also had a temporary return to Red Bull for three races, filling in for Isack Hadjar who was recovering from a wrist injury. During this period, Lawson added 14 points to his tally for Red Bull.
Yuki Tsunoda, who replaced Lawson at Red Bull in 2025, struggled to make a significant impact during his maiden season with the senior team. He finished 17th in the 2025 driver standings with 33 points.
Tsunoda lost his Red Bull race seat at the end of 2025 and now serves as a reserve driver for both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls in 2026. He also made a three-race cameo for Racing Bulls in 2026, covering for Lawson.
Lawson’s current contract with Racing Bulls concludes at the end of the 2026 season, leaving his future for 2027 uncertain. The path back to the senior Red Bull team is currently closed, as Isack Hadjar has extended his contract to partner Max Verstappen through 2027.
