It was not the first time in Formula 1 history that Red Bull Racing had to make a difficult decision between two drivers.

Normally, Red Bull tries to find out if a driver in its lineup is performing at a higher level than the junior team, in this case, Racing Bulls .

However, the 2024 season highlighted that Sergio Pérez was not at the required level, albeit in a car that was increasingly difficult to drive.

Perez was sacked by Red Bull and that created a situation where Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson were competing to replace him.

Tsunoda impressed in a post-season test for Red Bull , but this took place a day after a shareholder meeting where Perez’s successor was elected.

Team principal Christian Horner and chief advisor Helmut Marko were key players in deciding who would replace Perez.

Horner and Marko agreed to choose Lawson and, despite the delay in announcing his promotion, he received the backing of the organization.

Marko participated in an interview with Kleine Zeitung and explained the team’s reason for choosing Lawson despite his inexperience.

He said: “With his mental strength, Lawson is the one who has the best chance of keeping up with Max; no one can beat him at the moment anyway.

“Due to his limited experience in Grand Prix racing, we also see the greatest potential for future development in him.”

Marko was then asked about why Tsunoda came away empty-handed from promotion talks and continued: “The decision was certainly disappointing for him.

“His speed is undeniable, but he lacks a certain consistency and he is also a very emotional driver.

“Lawson’s overall package was perfect and Yuki Tsunoda is the spearhead of the Racing Bulls.”

It is a heartbreaking decision for Tsunoda after his best Formula 1 campaign to date.

After defeating Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo, Tsunoda’s head-to-head record against Lawson was very solid.

Unfortunately, Red Bull opted for potential over current ability when choosing their next driver to partner Verstappen.

While Lawson won the race between himself and Tsunoda to race for Red Bull in 2025, expectations on him will only increase from here.

Verstappen is the team’s number one driver, but Lawson needs to prove he can do a better job than Perez did this year in supporting the Dutchman.

Red Bull lost the Constructors’ Championship because Perez’s form fell below an acceptable level as the season progressed.

His 19-race run without a podium finish highlights the problems he faced, with Red Bull just 77 points behind McLaren despite Perez’s points deficit to Verstappen being 285 points.

Lawson has the backing of the Verstappen family , but whether that will last for the entire season remains to be seen.

Red Bull believes Lawson’s driving style is better suited to Verstappen’s, but if the RB21 is as difficult to drive as the RB20, that may not matter.