P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has admitted it has attempted to avoid heightening the pressure on Liam Lawson before his upcoming F1 debut with the team.
Sergio Perez was eventually replaced by Liam Lawson, over his Racing Bulls teammate Yuki Tsunoda, to join Red Bull’s senior side in 2025, even though Lawson has had limited F1 experience. This move meant Lawson became the least experienced Red Bull driver ever, facing the challenge of being teammates with Max Verstappen, known as the toughest gig on the F1 grid. Red Bull expects Lawson to be within “three-tenths” of Verstappen, who won his fourth consecutive title in 2024. Despite Red Bull slipping to third place in the Constructors’ Championship due to Perez’s struggles, Lawson is being eased into his new role without excessive pressure from the team. The second Red Bull seat has been challenging since 2018, but team principal Christian Horner believes Lawson has the determination and skill to handle the pressure of going up against Verstappen. Lawson is excited to learn from Verstappen, acknowledging the challenge of competing with the reigning champion and sees it as an opportunity to improve with access to his data and performance insights.
