Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner admits Liam Lawson risks struggling in the team environment if he is promoted too quickly.
Lawson was selected to partner Max Verstappen for 2025 despite starting 11 Grands Prix, with the experienced Yuki Tsunoda overlooked to replace Sergio Perez. The Mexican was brought in after Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon struggled for a Red Bull place early in their careers and Horner acknowledges the risks involved with the young driver.
“Look, there is a risk of that happening again.” Horner said. “But I think Liam is a different character. He’s a different character who can handle that pressure. I think he showed real resilience and strength of character through the opportunities he had to show up, get on with the job and deliver. And he did it.
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“Initially, we weren’t planning on accelerating this year. Unfortunately, things happened that prevented Checo from having a great season. This has accelerated. But we believe that wherever Liam is on the trajectory he is on, it will only improve.
“And he drives the car in a similar way to Max. He’s not shy about having a very positive front end on his car. So, given the nature of the driving, I think it would be easier to have the two cars running closer together in the setup.”
Horner believes having a clear hierarchy with Verstappen as lead driver is now a different scenario that could take the pressure off Lawson compared to his former protégés.
“Daniel [Ricciardo] And Max was a strong pairing. At that time, there were two juniors who were having difficulties. And that’s why Checo stepped into the ’21 season and handled the pressure so well.
“Another element we are very focused on is making sure we are creating a wider operating window with the RB21 than the very narrow, top-level performance window of the RB20. So giving us a wider window will help Liam find a car that is sometimes more, perhaps more forgiving than the RB20.
“I think one of the things we’re trying to protect Liam from is expectations. Of course, Max wasn’t a four-time world champion when Alex and Pierre were on the team. At that time he had not won a World Championship. We have a very clear positioning within the team about where Max is in his career and what we need from a second driver.”
