Yuki Tsunoda to Replace Liam Lawson: Red Bull’s Team-Mate Problem

For the past six years, finding a suitable teammate for Max Verstappen has been a persistent challenge. The recent replacement of Liam Lawson after just two races highlights the intense pressure and high standards within Red Bull Racing, even by their own demanding history.

Yuki Tsunoda is now the latest driver to take on what is widely considered one of the most difficult positions in Formula 1. Lawson will return to Racing Bulls, where the team hopes he can regain his confidence.

Lawson was initially chosen to succeed Sergio Perez over the winter break. Perez`s inconsistent performance had significantly hindered Red Bull`s chances of retaining the Constructors` Championship.

Despite spending four seasons with Red Bull, Perez was rarely able to consistently match Verstappen`s level. Before Perez, Alex Albon`s tenure lasted only 18 months, and Pierre Gasly`s was even shorter at half a season.

This raises a key question: Why is it so challenging to be Verstappen`s teammate?

Verstappen`s Unique Driving Style

One theory suggests that Red Bull designs its car to specifically suit Verstappen`s driving style.

Drivers have different preferences in car handling. Some prefer understeer, while others like oversteer. Verstappen favors oversteer and wants the car to turn in aggressively during corners.

Ideally, a race car would have neither oversteer nor understeer, but Formula 1 cars usually exhibit one or both.

“I prefer a responsive front end but with just enough rear stability for controlled balance,” Verstappen explained about his driving style.

“I like a strong front. I dislike understeer; it ruins the car`s feel. A sharp front end with a rear that`s right on the edge, but still dependable.”

Albon was Verstappen`s teammate from late 2019 through 2020. While Verstappen competed with Mercedes, Albon struggled to reach Q3 qualifying and often had to fight his way up through the race to score points.

In a 2023 interview, Albon used a video game analogy to describe his experience at Red Bull.

“Many believe the car is built around him, like Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, creating a team around his preferences,” Albon said.

“The car has inherent characteristics, and he is exceptionally fast. He has a unique driving style that isn`t easily adaptable to.”

“Everyone has their driving style. Mine is smoother, and I like a sharp, direct front end. Max also likes a sharp front, but his level of sharpness is extreme – incredibly sharp.”

“To illustrate, imagine maximizing the sensitivity in a computer game. Moving the mouse becomes hyper-sensitive, darting across the screen. That`s similar to how the car feels. It`s so sharp it creates tension.”

Is Red Bull Designing Cars This Way?

Verstappen has been with Red Bull since 2016 and has consistently been a top performer.

After some crashes early in 2018, Verstappen outperformed Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of that year.

Since 2019, Verstappen has only been out-qualified 12 times by his teammates: Gasly (once), Albon (once), and Perez (10). Some of these instances were due to bad luck, team errors, or tactical decisions related to penalties. So, has Red Bull been tailoring car development to Verstappen over these years and rule changes?

“We always aim for peak performance,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports F1 during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

“Fast cars are inherently challenging to drive, but we know we need to unlock more performance. We need both drivers performing at the top level to compete for the Constructors` Championship, and even for the Drivers` Championship, you need two strong cars.”

Horner added, “He [Verstappen] constantly demands more front-end grip, and naturally, development follows the direction of your fastest driver.”

Despite Horner`s statement, Verstappen has expressed dissatisfaction with the Red Bull car for nearly a year, especially since McLaren`s wins last season.

He`s often seen making aggressive steering corrections, suggesting the current Red Bull car isn`t perfectly suited even to him. However, his exceptional talent allows him to maximize the car`s potential, even when it`s not ideal.

Lack of Confidence: A Major Issue

Formula 1 drivers make countless decisions each lap, and each one affects performance.

Braking points, braking force, turn-in timing, steering angle, cornering lines, and throttle application are all critical decisions made in fractions of a second, often while racing wheel-to-wheel.

Any hesitation or lack of confidence in the car becomes a significant problem, especially under the immense pressure of driving for a top team like Red Bull.

“Lawson was seven-tenths slower than Verstappen in Q1 in China, with Verstappen in third and Lawson in 20th,” noted Sky Sports F1`s Martin Brundle, who experienced being teammate to a young Michael Schumacher in 1992.

“You might think, `half a tenth per corner, that`s manageable,` but it`s not. Finding seven-tenths is a massive challenge, requiring a fundamental shift.”

Recently, Perez was relatively close to Verstappen`s pace early in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, as each season progressed, the gap between them widened. Albon believes this is because car development increasingly favored Verstappen`s driving style, resulting in a faster car that became harder for teammates to handle.

“What happened, especially during my time, was that you start slightly behind, but not significantly. Then, as the season progresses, Max pushes for more front-end grip, wanting the car sharper and sharper,” Albon explained.

“As the car becomes sharper, he gets faster. To catch up, you have to take more risks. You might be a couple of tenths slower in one session, try harder, and then you might crash and have to start over.”

“Then you lose confidence, needing more time to adjust. The gap widens, and the next attempt might result in another mistake – it snowballs. As the car gets sharper, you become more tense.”

“Like in any sport, if you lose your flow and have to overthink every action, if you`re unsure how the car will react in each corner, it just doesn`t work. Confidence and flow are essential.”

Is Verstappen Just Too Good?

Despite discussions about driving styles and car development, a major factor is Verstappen`s exceptional talent.

Sky Sports F1`s Nico Rosberg considers Verstappen the best driver he`s ever raced against, ranking him among the top five F1 drivers of all time, alongside legends like Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, and Juan Manuel Fangio.

Verstappen is currently at his peak, demonstrated by arguably winning the 2024 title without the best car, and doing so with two races remaining.

It`s likely that most drivers on the grid would struggle to match Verstappen`s performance in the same car, given his extraordinary skill.

“He`s a phenomenal talent, and his ability is consistently evident,” Horner stated.

“Looking back, it`s clear how exceptional Max is. The world is beginning to fully recognize just how special he truly is.”