Red Bull chief admits team MISTAKE over Sergio Perez replacement

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has admitted that the team's decision to replace Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson this winter was a mistake.

The New Zealander had two separate short spells with Red Bull's junior team in 2023 and 2024, and was promoted to the senior team despite having barely a dozen Formula 1 starts under his belt.

After failing to score a single point in either of his first two outings for the Milton Keynes-based squad, the Kiwi has been sent back to sister team Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda coming in the opposite direction.

The Japanese driver had been under serious consideration for Perez's seat, but was left frustrated after seeing Lawson given that chance.

And in an interview with OE24, Marko has confessed that they made the wrong decision.

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Marko: Lawson hasn't been good enough

“Yuki was too inconsistent, and that is why we unanimously chose Lawson," said the Austrian. "But under the increased pressure, he couldn’t deliver from day one. He entered a downward spiral, it is like a stricken boxer and on top of that, it is hard to get out of it. In that sense, it was a mistake [to put him in the seat].

“In Australia, Liam had a turbo problem in the third free practice. The mileage he lost there, he came up short. And what he has delivered so far is obviously not enough, we need a strong second driver, if only for [in-race] tactics.”

Having finished third in the 2024 constructors' championship, it was hoped the arrival of Lawson could provide Red Bull with a new lease of life as they set about reclaiming their title.

But with the campaign only two races old, their chances of doing that appear slim, with defending champions McLaren already 42 points ahead.

Tsunoda will now be tasked with trying to narrow that gap over the coming months, starting at his home grand prix in Japan next weekend.

Lawson, meanwhile, now faces an altogether different challenge alongside rookie Isack Hadjar as he aims to get his F1 career back on track.

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