Liam Lawson speaks out after Red Bull replacement talks

Liam Lawson has reflected on his Red Bull promotion over Racing Bulls star Yuki Tsunoda, as rumours of a stunning U-turn at the Formula 1 team grow.

Lawson replaced Sergio Perez at Red Bull at the end of last season, after the Mexican decided to take a sabbatical from the sport following a disappointing 2024.

The Kiwi racer was picked for the role ahead of his Racing Bulls team-mate Tsunoda, and the team's choice has been criticised particularly by McLaren chief Zak Brown who labelled the decision as 'strange'.

Lawson was recently asked in an interview with the The Telegraph, ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, whether he felt any sympathy for Tsunoda despite whispers he could be replaced by the Japanese driver.

"Honestly? No," he admitted. "You can’t in this sport, and anyway if I look back over our career, I was team-mates with him in F3 and I beat him. In Euro Formula I was team-mates with him in New Zealand, and I beat him there.

"And then in F1 last season, I think honestly, if I look at all the times he got promoted instead of me in those early years, then no. He’s had his time. Now it’s my time."

Will Lawson be replaced at Red Bull?

Despite this fighting talk, Lawson proceeded to then qualify plum last in both sprint qualifying and main race qualifying during the Chinese GP weekend, and is yet to score a point this season.

Team-mate Max Verstappen already has 36 points on the board, and qualified up in second and fourth in those two sessions respectively.

Lawson's poor performances are harming Red Bull's chances in the constructors' championship, where they already sit 42 points behind McLaren.

Reports have suggested that Red Bull are already considering swapping Lawson out of that seat and replacing him with Tsunoda from the Japanese GP onwards, with Lawson dropping down to the Racing Bulls seat once again.

GPFans have contacted Red Bull for a response to these rumours.

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