Red Bull’s team continues to face criticism over the controversial swap between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. The latter only raced two events for the main team before being demoted back to Racing Bulls. Formula 1 veteran and analyst Ralf Schumacher believes that Red Bull should never have placed a young driver alongside Verstappen – someone like Nico Hülkenberg would have been much more valuable, in his opinion.
In a conversation with the German branch of Sky Sports, Schumacher argues that Red Bull is too committed to its own junior program. Young drivers should develop at Racing Bulls, but should not be promoted to the main team too early. Therefore, it was a big mistake to promote Liam Lawson this year. With a view to a fifth title for Verstappen and reclaiming the constructors’ title, Nico Hülkenberg would have been the perfect interim solution for Red Bull.
‘Horner Should Not Have Stayed’
“Red Bull urgently needs to draw conclusions,” says Schumacher. “I think there is simply no harmony anymore. Christian Horner seems to have made a mistake by staying in his position. In my opinion, he bet on the wrong horses and too many good people left – and this is now the result. In terms of management, that was and is really bad.”
“That being said, I’m surprised at what Helmut Marko is now doing with Racing Bulls,” Schumacher continued. “I wouldn’t have given Liam Lawson another chance. I would have preferred to contract a young driver directly – there are plenty in the ranks. One thing has also become clear: Lawson will probably never become a top driver. And as for the next generation, Red Bull invests so much time and money in training young talents. I also have to say that Helmut Marko has pushed Liam Lawson too far. Two races were not enough – they should have worked with him much more.”
‘Should Have Brought Nico Hülkenberg to Red Bull’
While Racing Bulls should focus on training young drivers, according to Schumacher, Red Bull would benefit more from an experienced driver. “The mistake, from the beginning, was not to let Nico Hülkenberg get in the car. From what I’ve heard, Christian Horner didn’t want that. But the team needed a clear number two to support Max Verstappen. Hülkenberg would have been perfect: fast and solid, both in qualifying and in the race.”
“That was the big mistake,” the German concluded. “I think Horner wanted Colapinto, but he disappeared from the candidate list. Marko decided to focus on their young program drivers, but in two races there were only total failures,” he referred to the performance of Liam Lawson. “At this moment, Max Verstappen simply doesn’t need a young driver.” With the recruitment of Sergio Pérez, Red Bull previously gambled on an experienced driver from outside. In his first years with the team, it seemed to work, although he would later succumb to the pressure.
