Formula 1 2025 – WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

so think probably more to it.

Yup – $$$$

Maybe sceptical, but I don’t see what’s changed at RB that will make Lawson more successful than every no.2 since Ricciardo arrived

Nothing. I’d bet money that he doesn’t last the entire season.

Red Bull just continue to pick up the dice and roll them again and again until they land a double six.

Meanwhile Bottas is back at Mercedes; the driver who, alongside Hamilton at (it would seem) his peak, delivered the exact performance that Red Bull want alongside Max.

I don’t see Red Bull fixing their problems until they hire from outside. It looks like they’re scared of losing Max in the next couple of years and just want the next superstar to be a lucky dip from their driver pool. Meanwhile, that doesn’t build them a secure constructors’ bid, and it risks being all at sea in the driver market if they fall down the order in 2026.

Something seems to have lost the team’s nerve… whether it was Mateschitz passing, Horner being under fire, Newey leaving, whatever it was, they just seem desperate.

Something seems to have lost the team’s nerve

That’s the thing with their driver development program. They’ve poured millions into sponsoring young drivers but ended up with Perez. Verstappen wasn’t even one of their sponsored talents. The junior team should have been a chance for drivers like Albon to develop before being promoted, but they just burned through all their talent and now are struggling.

Right. It has the signs of there having been a clear instruction that all that investment now needs to bear fruit or else. Problem is, it leaves them boxed into doing the same thing they’ve been doing since Ricciardo left: as you say, just burning up their talent. Meanwhile it also means they’ve missed the boat on some very good drivers who were on the market this year.

Lawson seems to have a bit of attitude*. How long before he doesn’t want to let MV past and it all goes wrong?

*not saying thats bad, or good for that matter…

Reading between the lines…

“We’re acutely aware that if we’re not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki – being, in all honesty, this year [2025] – does it make sense [to keep him]?” Horner said.

…this seems to say what I expected: that Lawson has to deliver in the first half of this year otherwise Yuki gets a go in the big car. Same old Red Bull, gives you wings and then expects you to fly close to the sun.

Video of Lewis saying goodbye to MB.

^^^^ it’s a bit dusty in here …

…this seems to say what I expected: that Lawson has to deliver in the first half of this year otherwise Yuki gets a go in the big car. Same old Red Bull, gives you wings and then expects you to fly close to the sun.

Its probably more the case that:
“we wont be using Honda engines from 2026, so dont have to run a Japanese driver to keep them happy”

 Same old Red Bull

TBH, I don’t think many other teams would fare that much better, but, yeah this particular issue is entirely one of their own devising. You got to feel for Yuki, he’s done everything asked of him, and watched as a succession of drivers come along to be told “Beat Yuki, and you get to drive the in no#1 team”, and neither Riccardo nor Lawson have achieved it, but still Lawson gets the nod.

Still, it should be all the motivation he needs to at least put the CASHAPP Visa Barclaycard Mastercard American Express Diners Club higher up the grid every qualis, even if he can’t beat them in the race

Its probably more the case that: “we wont be using Honda engines from 2026, so dont have to run a Japanese driver to keep them happy”

Oh, of course—we can take that as read. There was never any way Yuki was stying there long term without Honda. But what might be lurking below the surface of what Horner’s saying, is that there’s the possibility of an opportunity for him this year—which would only be if they swap him and Lawson. That approach is straight out of the Red Bull playbook: launch a young hotshot into the top team and see if they sink or swim. Immediately. If Horner’s alluding to a possibility of Yuki having actual race time in that car then it’s because they’re running that playbook on Lawson, they’re not settling him in for the long haul until he’s proven himself. They seemed to have plenty of uncharacteristic patience in Checo, who was far more experienced and really shouldn’t have needed nurturing, but perversely they seem to be back to their total lack of patience with the fresh young talent that does need that nurture,

You got to feel for Yuki

I guess he’s ended up as a sort of miniaturised Tommy Byrne. Not as outrageously talented, nor as outrageously unemployable, but still somehow having done enough to permanently close some doors on the basis of first impressions.

 They seemed to have plenty of uncharacteristic patience in Checo,

But he was on the pace immediately. He didn’t require any ‘nurturing’. When he started he said “It will take me five races to get used to the car” He won his sixth race for the team. In his first season he was “a legend” and did exactly what was asked of him. He then delivered the team’s first ever 1-2 in the driver’s championship and two constructors championships, although was obviously less pivotal in that in 2023.

He started this year well with a string of podiums, and then his performance just nosedived for whatever reason.

Yes, they showed more patience with him in the final two thirds of 2024 than they showed with Kvyat, Gasly, Albon but prior to then he had decent results and was doing what was asked.

I agree that he had to go unfortunately, the last two thirds of 2024 had been utterly abysmal, but before that he had been exactly what they needed.

.

To add one more stat to the ‘Checo bashing’. In his entire F1 career Logan Sargent out qualified Alex Albon once. In 2024 he out qualified Checo six times.

I got the impression that the Red Bull was virtually undriveable, a car which was flattered to a very high level by Verstappen’s ability to drive around it, and also a car that should very much take the blame for Red Bull’s lack of enough points for the constructor’s championship, rather than Checo. I hope he got a very satisfactory pay out, because he has earned one

I don’t often quote Whinger Spice, but he did say ‘If the season was twenty four races at Baku, Checo would be world champion’

I can’t think of anything else positive he’s said in the last few months.