According to former Formula 1 driver and analyst Martin Brundle, it’s fair to call the situation of Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan ‘unfair’ as they already have to fear for their seats. Both drivers were given a full-time spot in the sport for the first time this season, but there is already widespread speculation in the media about an early exit. Brundle explains that this only negatively affects their performance.
During the Chinese GP, only the second round of the championship, Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan finished outside the points. While both failed to reach the finish line in the opening race in Melbourne, they finished in Shanghai in twelfth and thirteenth place respectively. In his analysis of the race, Martin Brundle states that both Lawson and Doohan are being hounded by the ongoing rumors of an exit.
Vearly driver swap?
“There was a lot of desperate racing, blocking and overtaking, not least by Lawson and Doohan,” says Brundle. “In many ways, they are unfairly put under a microscope, and so early in the season. That doesn’t mean that changes might not come,” he concluded. It wouldn’t be the first time that Red Bull opts for a sudden driver swap, and Alpine is no stranger to a game of musical chairs either. During the 2024 season finale, Jack Doohan was prematurely put in Esteban Ocon‘s car.
Now, however, it is Doohan who is under pressure, just like Lawson. The latter is rumored to be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda during the upcoming GP of Japan. The New Zealander is lacking the necessary speed in the qualifications. His Japanese counterpart has already proven that he is in the form of his life. Doohan needs to watch out for reserve driver Franco Colapinto, who scored points on behalf of Williams several times in 2024.
