Formula 1 News: No regrets after demoting Lawson

(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull has no regrets about dropping Liam Lawson just two races into the 2025 season.

Lawson’s replacement, the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda, has now been in the sister car alongside Max Verstappen for four races – and team advisor Marko insists he has done enough to secure the seat for the rest of the season.

Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing attends the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 01, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

“Yes,” Marko, 82, told Bild newspaper when asked if he is sure it was the right decision.

When mentioned that Tsunoda’s points haul so far can be counted on one hand, the Austrian continued: “Yes, but he’s much closer to Max than Liam was.

“In only his second race in the Red Bull, he finished in the points. That was a top performance and proof that we did the right thing. When was the last time we had two cars in the points? I don’t remember,” Marko added.

New Zealander Lawson, 23, was demoted to the brand’s junior outfit Racing Bulls, but he has failed to score a single point in either car so far in 2025.

Nonetheless, some might argue that only giving him two races at the senior team was a particularly brutal move by Red Bull.

“Liam Lawson couldn’t handle the pressure at Red Bull,” Marko argues. “That’s why it was the right decision to fill the cockpit with someone else.

“We know what we’re doing,” he added. “And we didn’t abandon Liam – he’s still racing in Formula 1 and has one of just 20 cockpits in the whole world.

“He’s been well received there and is performing better again.”