The 2025 Formula 1 season is exciting for everyone except Liam Lawson, who undoubtedly wants to improve his results.
Nov 21, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko arrices before practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The story of Red Bull Racing is among the peculiar ones in the Formula 1 paddock. A racing team with the backing of an energy drink company, it was initially considered a failed attempt. Red Bull has owned and operated two teams in Formula 1 since the start of their Formula 1 era. Surprisingly, the very first victory earned by a Red Bull owned team was nowhere near their main team, Red Bull Racing.
Instead, it was Sebastian Vettel, their junior driver, winning at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix racing in a “inferior” Toro Rosso. His achievement was much more special, considering the rainy conditions and the fact that he beat David Coulthard and Mark Webber to victory, who were in the main team.
For the past years, one of famous curses is the famed Red Bull seat. Now, being a Formula 1 fan, you’d be acquainted with curses like the Australian Grand Prix curse. Is the second seat at Red Bull a similar curse? Have Red Bull evolved into a team that destroys the career of junior drivers ruthlessly? Before we dig into this topic, let’s have a look at Red Bull’s past.
The Fate of Red Bull’s “Second Driver”
There is a simple rule in Formula 1, there can be only one winner so it’s natural for the teams to prioritise one driver over another. However, as we saw with Mercedes in the turbo-hybrid era, drivers like Valtteri Bottas and Nico Rosberg can give the preferred driver a run for their money if talented enough. Oscar Piastri and his contention with Lando Norris is another great example.
But maybe this logic doesn’t apply to Red Bull. Ever since the team debuted in Formula 1, one of their drivers has always underperformed compared to the main driver. David Coulthard used to constantly overperform during the initial days of Red Bull Racing. Then came Mark Webber, who instantly triumphed over Coulthard. When Sebastian Vettel was introduced to Red Bull Racing, he turned the situation in his own favor. Almost everyone remembers Vettel’s first title in Formula 1. It was controversial and full of clashes throughout the season.
The Realtionship Which Started It All
Mark Webber was evidently sidelined in favor of the talented Sebastian Vettel. The situation evolved to such a such a point that he was asked to give up his new front wing to Vettel for the British Grand Prix in the 2010 season. This led to the famous line,
“Thanks guys – not bad for a No 2 driver.”
Mind you, this happened when the drivers were equally competitive in the season and Webber was a championship favorite. Of course, the Multi-21 incident is another proof of the feud between Red Bull’s first and second driver. The mastermind of Red Bull’s operations and driver changes, Helmut Marko kept doting on his German protege. Webber’s “Aussie Grit” helped him compete against Vettel for four seasons, before he retired. But, the fact that someone as talented as Mark Webber could not win a Formula 1 title stayed deeply rooted in fans’ hearts.
Fast foward to 2016, Red Bull found themselves with two competitive drivers once again. This time, with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. The duo were regularly competing for podiums, wins and gave the impression that Red Bull had gotten over the Vettel-Webber era.
Until…
Red Bull Makes Bad Decisions Like a Rebellious Teenager
The 2018 season saw the end of Red Bull’s happy era. Tensions erupted between the Honey Badger and Verstappen. The Aussie promptly left Red Bull after feeling sidelined (It’s always the Aussies isn’t it). This time Pierre Gasly, a frenchman straight out of Red Bull academy and Toro Rosso was promoted to Red Bull.
Gasly struggled to put up against the monstrously fast Max Verstappen. All things aside, Max Verstappen has proved himself as a generational talent and he is one of the best. But, for Red Bull this was not enough. Helmut Marko stepped in once again and decided to throw Pierre Gasly back to Toro Rosso. He promoted Alex Albon to the main team, and this happened mid-season. However, Gasly got his revenge by winning the 2020 Italian Grand Prix in the “inferior” AlphaTauri (magnifique).
The next season bore witness to another masterclass by Max Verstappen. On the other hand, it was a complete disaster for Alex Albon who was left without a contract for 2021. He was sheltered by Williams where he reigned as a dependable first driver.
“Mexican Minister of Defence” Loses to The “Dutch Lion”
At this point, Red Bull’s driver stories became the same boring mixtape appearing on every occasion with a different autotune. Red Bull found a dream team in form of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen (sigh.. here we go again). The entire 2021 season saw Perez competing fiercely with a newfound confidence in his front-runner car. His actions rightfully earned him the title of “Mexican Minister of Defence”. There’s hardly anyone who doubts his contribution towards Max Verstappen’s first title in 2021 against Lewis Hamilton.
This moment of relief was short lived. Perez lost to Verstappen badly in the 2022 Formula 1 season. His performance was acceptable but the new aerodynamic Red Bull “rocketship” flaunted Verstappen’s talent yet again. In 2023, Perez’s results worsened to the point that Daniel Ricciardo was considered as his replacement having rejoined Red Bull. The 2024 season was the final nail on the coffin of Perez’s Red Bull career.
Thou Come, Thou Shalt Perish
Liam Lawson has inherited the much debated seat at Red Bull Racing for the 2025 season. His talents are already being questioned by critics in favor of the much more experienced Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson’s clutch performances in the past season could not help his case in 2025. He was eliminated in Q1 due to an error in his fast lap. The Australian Grand Prix mercilessly spun out Lawson from contention, whereas his competitor, Verstappen claimed podium to defend his championship title.
Liam Lawson’s seniors have not been the perfect example for the Red Bull second seat. But, can the rookie Kiwi turn things around for a new start at Red Bull (oh no…New Zealand…Australia)?
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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.
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For me, online journalism was not something I expected. I am a Mechanical Engineer aiming to join Formula 1. At the same time, I am a poet, writer and my university’s Literary Club Lead. One day the dots connected together and I realised I could use my writing skills to convey my passion for Motorsports.
The biggest aspects I love about my role are- Scuderia Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel. When I am not fawning over them I like to convey my opinions to the public, in a manner which helps them gain a new point of view. I love helping people explore new ideas about Motorsports and obviously get recognised as a writer all over the world.
Message to Readers: I promise you one day you’ll see me managing operations on track with a Formula 1 team ; )
