F1 News
Marko hints at Red Bull announcement: 'Please be patient until then'
Red Bull Racing motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has indicated that an official announcement on Liam Lawson's future will come "soon."
Marko hints at Red Bull announcement
On Tuesday, it was confirmed by GPblog that Lawson will be shown the door by Red Bull with immediate effect. So it is only waiting for Red Bull to officially announce the news. That moment could well come on Thursday, judging by the words of top advisor Marko.
Asked by OE24 about Lawson's future, the 81-year-old Austrian replied on Wednesday: "There will be a decision soon and it will be announced. You will have to wait until tomorrow." So it is quite possible that Lawson's departure - and the arrival of Tsunoda, who has been angling for the second seat at Red Bull for years - will come on Thursday.
Lawson is not Verstappen's first teammate to struggle with the car, but his first races for the team have been particularly difficult. What is the reason for that? "In Australia, he had a faulty turbo in the third practice session. He lost the kilometres he lost as a result. Of course, what he has done so far has not been enough. We need a strong second driver, if only for the team's tactics," Marko explained.
After an emergency meeting with the main shareholders in Dubai, the knot was tied. Tsunoda will replace the New Zealander from his home race, the Japanese Grand Prix. Honda reportedly paid millions to get the Japanese in the seat next to Max Verstappen. Although Verstappen has expressed no preference for a particular teammate in the past, the Dutchman was not waiting for yet another switch.
Want more Formula 1? Follow GPblog on our various social media channels!