Red Bull’s second seat curse continues as Lawson struggles
Red Bull Racing might need to take a hard look in the mirror. Every driver who sits in that second seat seems to crash and burn, and Jeroen Bleekemolen thinks it’s not the drivers’ fault.
The Dutch racing veteran and former Le Mans winner fears Liam Lawson is already on the chopping block after just two races.
“I’d think that’s very bad of the team,” Bleekemolen told Formule1.nl. “The guy needs confidence, and this way you only make it worse.”
“But he will be out soon, I’m afraid.”
Lawson hasn’t exactly impressed in his first outings, but Bleekemolen points to a bigger problem – the car itself.
“It is very stiff at the front and therefore very difficult to drive at the rear. That just suits Max’s driving style. There is nobody apart from him who can handle that car.”
The situation seems hopeless for any driver not named Verstappen.
Bleekemolen believes Lawson can’t escape this trap, and replacing him won’t solve anything either.
“Someone like Yuki Tsunoda would also fall through the ice,” he warned.
The real issue? Red Bull has built a car completely tailored to Max’s unique driving style.
Just look at the trail of talented drivers who couldn’t make it work: Alexander Albon, Pierre Gasly, and Sergio Pérez. All proven racers who suddenly couldn’t perform.
“All of them guys who know how to race, but this situation is just very difficult. It’s actually an impossible split.”
