Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has pinpointed the final practice session at Formula 1‘s Australian Grand Prix as the turning point that led to Liam Lawson’s demotion.
Lawson’s stint with Red Bull came to an abrupt end earlier this week as the team announced the expected news that he would be swapping places with Yuki Tsunoda.
The Kiwi had been picked over his ex-team-mate to replace the ousted Sergio Perez, but a disastrous start to his spell with the senior side prompted an urgent switch.
Lawson’s dream debut weekend with Red Bull in Melbourne soon descended into a nightmare as he was eliminated in Q1 prior to crashing during a rain-affected race.
Those events succeeded Lawson losing crucial mileage in FP3 due to a technical problem on his RB21, a setback that Marko contends triggered his downward spiral.
“The change happened after a start that I’d say was rather unfortunate,” Marko told Motorsport.com.
“The third practice session in Australia was cancelled, and that’s where the problems began. That naturally affected Liam’s confidence.”
Lawson’s woes worsen in Shanghai
Lawson’s prospects deteriorated at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he was allocated a single practice hour to acclimatise to a circuit he had no previous experience at.
That culminated in him posting the slowest time across both qualifying sessions and an uninspiring run to 12th place in a race that comprised three disqualifications.
“Unfortunately, things continued in China, which also had a Sprint race – so again, only one practice session,” Marko continued.
“And at the same time, we have to acknowledge that the RB21 is difficult to drive. It’s not the fastest car, and the gap in performance just kept growing.”
Red Bull shocked Lawson buckled so soon
Red Bull’s rationale behind promoting Lawson had been the trust that he had the mental resilience required to thrive alongside reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen.
However, Marko, who compared Lawson to a “boxer on the ropes” across his short-lived period with Red Bull, admitted surprise at how he buckled under the pressure.
“Yes, it was surprising with Lawson,” Marko admitted. “But as I said, there were unfortunate circumstances.
“Even during the pre-season tests in Bahrain, he had technical issues that limited his mileage [Lawson completed the second fewest laps].
“That third practice session in Australia was a very crucial point.
“And then on top of that, another Sprint weekend [in China]. Still, you have to deliver.
“And while Lawson was on a downward trajectory, Yuki is now in his fifth year and, as I said, gives a very strong overall impression. And we believe he will be able to handle it.”
READ MORE – Helmut Marko reveals how long Yuki Tsunoda will have to impress Red Bull
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