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Lawson Denies Confidence Collapse as Tsunoda Lags at Red Bull

Lawson attributes his early struggles to limited testing on unfamiliar tracks in a car optimized for Verstappen rather than a crisis of confidence.

Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls talk on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 06, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan.
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Overview

  • Christian Horner had asserted Lawson’s confidence was crushed by Red Bull pressure, but Lawson calls that characterization “completely false.”
  • Yuki Tsunoda has managed just seven points in ten Grands Prix and one sprint for Red Bull, with a best finish of sixth in the Miami sprint after penalties.
  • After his demotion, Lawson scored eight points for sixth place in Austria with Racing Bulls, exceeding Tsunoda’s entire points haul at the senior team.
  • Lawson says he never received sufficient track time to adapt to the RB21’s Verstappen‐tailored setup and needed more than two races to find form.
  • Red Bull’s hunt for a reliable No. 2 has led to mid-season swaps of Gasly, Albon, Pérez, Lawson and now Tsunoda since 2019 due to the car’s narrow performance window.