Former Racing Bulls team boss Franz Tost believes that Liam Lawson is ‘nowhere near as fast’ as Yuki Tsunoda. The 69-year-old Austrian supported the driver swap between the two, which took place from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards. Lawson was promoted to Red Bull this year, but was demoted back to Racing Bulls after just two races, allowing Tsunoda the opportunity to finally race for the main team.
At the beginning of 2024, it became clear that Sergio Pérez would not be allowed to fulfill his new contract with Red Bull. The Mexican’s performance was so disappointing that one of the Racing Bulls drivers was set to inherit his seat. The team management made the somewhat controversial decision to opt for Liam Lawson. The New Zealander had proven himself a few times in Formula 1, but did not have nearly as much experience as his Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda. After two Grands Prix in the current season, Red Bull apparently reconsidered: from his home race at Suzuka, Tsunoda will be alongside Max Verstappen.
Franz Tost, who served as team boss at Racing Bulls – formerly Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri – from 2006 to the end of 2023, finds it remarkable that Tsunoda has only now been promoted. “I would have chosen Tsunoda from the start,” Tost responded to Austrian broadcaster ORF. “I’ve always said that. Moreover, I made that clear last fall. Why? Because Yuki is much faster than Lawson. You could give Lawson a hundred years, but he would still be slower than Yuki. It’s a very simple decision.”
‘Lawson is simply too slow’
“This confirms that Yuki Tsunoda has always been the right driver,” Tost added. “He has an incredible natural speed – I’ve been saying this for years. Now he just needs to get everything in order. Sometimes he’s still too emotional in the car; perhaps that was one of the reasons Red Bull initially chose Lawson. But in terms of pure speed, Tsunoda absolutely belongs among the very best Formula 1 drivers. He just needs to translate that into consistency in the race. If he can also keep his emotions under control, it will be a very, very good season for both Red Bull and Tsunoda.”
Lawson was disappointed that Red Bull did not give him one last chance on the Suzuka circuit. He knows the Japanese track well from his time in the junior classes and could have impressed the team management. Franz Tost doubts whether a good race at Suzuka could have saved his season. “Knowing the circuit is one thing, being fast is another,” he concluded. “The decision to put Yuki in the car now was absolutely right, because Lawson is simply too slow.”
