Follow us on Google Discover Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda appear to be fighting for the final seat within the Red Bull setup for 2025. Tsunoda’s only hope of staying on the grid is a return to former team Racing Bulls.
Isack Hadjar is set to replace Tsunoda, who has not met expectations since he was promoted to Red Bull prior to the third race of the season.
Meanwhile, Formula 2 talent Arvid Lindblad is expected to join Racing Bulls, leaving just one spot remaining. Lawson only lasted two races at Red Bull before one of the most brutal driver calls in F1 history, but has since outscored Tsunoda.
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There are still those who feel that Racing Bulls have a ‘more stable’ car than Red Bull, so a comparison between the two is difficult. And the reality is that both may be viewed as a stop-gap at this stage before the team find their next young talent.
Oliver Mintzlaff will influence whether Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda get Racing Bulls seat
Speaking on the F1Nation podcast, journalist Erik van Haren explained why the timeline for Red Bull’s driver decisions had changed. The team had repeatedly said that a decision would be made after Mexico.
Now, they’ve pushed the deadline back to the end of this month, potentially even the start of next month. There’s a bureaucratic process that must be completed, with Red Bull’s sports boss Oliver Mintzlaff required to give his approval, as well as Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko.
Though Mintzlaff isn’t involved with the F1 team day-to-day, his position within the company means the final decision could rest with him. The structure at the team has changed after the dismissal of Christian Horner.
“The top advisor of the team, Helmut Marko, said for weeks or months that the decision will be made after Mexico, and we are there now,” Van Haren said. “But they said in Mexico that it’ll be around Qatar, Abu Dhabi – maybe end of November, beginning of December.
“They want to confirm the four drivers that the whole Red Bull family wants. We know Verstappen for sure, but also the other three. It’s not a secret that Helmut Marko wants Hadjar at Red Bull and Arvid Lindblad to Racing Bulls.
“But he’s not the only one deciding – it’s also Mekies, and maybe the Red Bull sports boss, Oliver Mintzlaff, and his team. I think they’re giving themselves more time [to choose] between Yuki and Liam who will get the last seat.”
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There’s a school of thought that Red Bull want to avoid ‘distractions’. Their primary goal is to help Verstappen complete a remarkable comeback in the title fight, and secondly, they’re eyeing second in the constructors’.
While they can rely on the necessary production from Verstappen, Tsunoda could cost Red Bull significant prize money if he’s told that he’s losing his seat, which would likely remove some of his motivation.
Isack Hadjar wants to drive the Red Bull in the post-season test, which would require an announcement by 8 December. This fits with the aforementioned timeline.
Tsunoda and Lawson know that they have at least two more races – this weekend’s Sao Paulo GP and the Las Vegas GP on 23 November – to save themselves.
Honda’s backing could help Tsunoda, even though they will no longer supply Red Bull’s engines. If they stay on as a personal sponsor, Mintzlaff will have a lucrative opportunity.