It is the chicken and the egg story of Formula 1. The gap between Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson was immense during their first and only two Grands Prix together at Red Bull. Was that real gap really entirely due to Lawson’s inability to handle the RB21 or is Verstappen otherworldly?
Sebastian Vettel has revealed that he spoke with Max Verstappen before the Dutchman took his winning record, telling Verstappen he is ‘better’ than him. The German, who won four world titles with Red Bull, believes that Max Verstappen will add more championships to his tally. At just 27 years old, Verstappen has already cemented his place among the sport’s greats—how many more titles could be in his future?
As soon as rumours surfaced about Liam Lawson’s potential replacement, Argentine media quickly speculated that Franco Colapinto was in talks with Red Bull Racing to become Max Verstappen’s teammate. However, GPblog had already debunked this claim, and Tsunoda’s promotion further confirmed it. Now, Helmut Marko himself has stated that Colapinto was never considered for the seat. Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was also never in the running, despite some eager fans hoping for his return.
More than ever, Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull Racing is uncertain. Competitors are surely keeping a close eye on developments at the Austrian team. Maybe the Dutchman could be contracted somewhere else for 2026?
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel believes that the 2025 world title will be a hard-fought battle. With McLaren currently the fastest team, the German believes that Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are the favourites in the early stages.
For Honda, Yuki Tsunoda’s promotion to Red Bull Racing is a major milestone. At the Japanese Grand Prix, a homegrown driver is making his debut for a top team powered by a Japanese engine. However, Red Bull insists that the timing of Tsunoda’s first race in the RB21 at Suzuka is purely coincidental.
When Liam Lawson arrives in Suzuka next week, he will no longer be stepping into the Red Bull Racing garage. After being sidelined in favour of Yuki Tsunoda, the New Zealander now faces the challenge of proving himself at sister team Racing Bulls. Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber believes that Lawson’s best approach is to stay calm if he wants to revive his Formula 1 career.
Yuki Tsunoda’s tenure at Red Bull Racing could be the perfect opportunity for Red Bull Racing to put Arvid Lindblad in the car, thinks former F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya. There’s a caveat, though, that could make the situation backfire on the Austrian team, and the Japanese driver holds the key.
The Japanese Grand Prix will be a special event for Red Bull Racing. After years of having a Honda engine, this will be the final time they will run with those power units at Suzuka. The team have already hinted at a special livery, and the first picture of their team kit has also surfaced.
Lando Norris had a chaotic end to the Chinese Grand Prix. The Briton referred to it as one of his ‘worst nightmares’ when he had issues with his brake pedal.
