Former F1 driver and now Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle can’t figure out why Red Bull is struggling so badly with their driver lineup despite having one of the best driver academies in motorsport.
The confusion comes after Liam Lawson lost his Red Bull Racing seat after just two races in the 2025 season.
On Thursday, it became official that Yuki Tsunoda will drive alongside Max Verstappen in the RB21 for the Japanese Grand Prix, replacing the New Zealander for the rest of the season. Lawson isn’t out completely though – he’ll join Racing Bulls alongside Isack Hadjar, essentially getting demoted back to the team where he finished the 2024 season with Tsunoda.
This is just the latest in a string of harsh driver decisions that have drawn criticism for Red Bull.
They’ve previously dropped talented academy graduates like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, not to mention letting Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz slip away. That’s a lot of top-tier talent that once wore Red Bull colors.
## Brundle baffled by Red Bull’s approach
Taking to X after the driver swap became official, Brundle didn’t hold back: “Red Bull uniquely has a junior team on the grid, so it’s doubly confusing they are in such a mess with drivers. And their only driver they desperately need appears to be casting around for the future.”
The Sky Sports commentator believes Lawson might actually benefit from this setback.
“Liam Lawson’s reputation is temporarily trashed, and he has nothing to lose now. He should turn that into an advantage and let his natural talent flow,” Brundle added, suggesting the demotion could free Lawson to drive without pressure and show his true potential once again.
