The driver swap between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda has reignited the debate over the second Red Bull seat. A considerable number of drivers, including Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly, have been overshadowed as teammates to Max Verstappen. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko indicates that Red Bull is keen to break this ‘curse’ of the second Red Bull driver by implementing a significant change.
Liam Lawson saw his Red Bull adventure prematurely end after the GP China. The New Zealander was merely the latest in a series of drivers who were not allowed to fulfill their contract with the Austrian racing team. For instance, Sergio Pérez had to make way for the same Lawson in December.
One of Lawson’s problems during his two races for the team is that the RB21 has a narrow performance window. Although Max Verstappen can handle the uncompromising Red Bull car well, advisor Helmut Marko admits that a different approach must be taken for the second driver’s car. “We have already considered setting up the second car differently, with a less aggressive setup,” the Austrian explains to Motorsport.com. “Something that makes it easier to handle.”
Verstappen Defends Lawson
Verstappen was certainly not pleased that Lawson was given such a short time to acclimate to the Red Bull. The four-time world champion also struggles with the capricious RB21. “Max argued that the car is very difficult to drive and that if the car were better, Lawson would also perform better,” Marko continues. “Of course, we are working on further development, but at this moment, it is difficult to predict how quickly that will happen.”
