If Sergio Perez certainly will get pushed out by Crimson Bull – or decides to leap himself, which appears the extra unlikely state of affairs – after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, all indicators level to Liam Lawson because the identify that shall be prioritised within the dialog between Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and the corporate’s shareholders on Monday after the race.
And Lawson is a stable driver. The phrase within the paddock is that Crimson Bull bosses worth his capability to carry out below strain, one thing he is confirmed efficiently each instances he was thrust into an F1 race seat mid-season. Lawson comes throughout as somebody who would not overthink nor overexert himself below any circumstance, which does sound like an incredible high quality in case you’re choosing a driver to share a storage with Max Verstappen. Lawson is confident, level-headed, possibly even – in a great way – uncomplicated, or at the very least that is what you hear from the Crimson Bull camp.
“Actually, I’m going a couple of race how I’ve at all times achieved, and it isn’t one thing I’m not making an attempt to do a sure factor or act in a sure approach to present them something,” the New Zealander stated, when quizzed on that topic on Thursday in Abu Dhabi. “I’m simply making an attempt to do the most effective job I can within the automobile so mentally it’s at all times how I’ve been – and it’s as much as them to determine whether or not they like that or don’t like that.
“I’ve been on this junior group a very long time and that is the top of my sixth 12 months in Crimson Bull, and that strain comes from the second you arrive. I used to be 16 years previous and I by no means felt strain like that and I by no means knew that it may very well be like that going right into a racing season. I feel that is among the advantages of being with Crimson Bull for thus lengthy is that, in a method, it builds you for Method 1. Having that have of that strain on you from a very younger age, it will be robust, so I’m grateful to have had that for thus a few years.”
And but, none of that adjustments the very fact Sunday will mark Lawson’s eleventh full begin in F1. His CV in any other case consists of runner-up within the DTM, runner-up in Tremendous Method (like Pierre Gasly) and third place in his second 12 months in Method 2.
That is… first rate. However, frankly, not higher than first rate.
Not that Tsunoda’s junior profession was a shocking one both, however you possibly can argue it was a bit extra spectacular in case you think about that his third place in F2 got here not in his second 12 months within the sequence like for Lawson – however in his second 12 months on the European racing scene, full cease. All-new tracks, fully completely different tradition.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Workforce, Liam Lawson, RB F1 Workforce
Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
Then there’s the very fact Tsunoda is ending up his fourth 12 months in F1 with Crimson Bull’s junior group, and that he is outscored and outqualified his final three team-mates, together with race winner Daniel Ricciardo.
However within the F1 paddock, it’s extensively perceived that it is the man with 10 races below his belt who’s the favorite to get the nod from Crimson Bull – quite than the man who has been the quicker of the 2 in a lot of the qualifying periods and races they’ve achieved as team-mates.
In case you’re Tsunoda, it should be actually puzzling and irritating.
And puzzled and annoyed is strictly what he appears to be – at the very least when dealing with the media. Possibly somewhat bit misplaced as nicely when listening to questions on whether or not he “genuinely” feels that he has “an opportunity of getting that seat” – questions wherein the phrasing itself implies that there is good cause for him to not “genuinely really feel” that method. On Thursday in Abu Dhabi, when dealing with the media on the pen, he actually needed to assume laborious earlier than offering solutions to among the questions.
“The narrative outdoors within the paddock is that your path to that group is blocked,” journalists inform him. “Is {that a} honest evaluation?” And Tsunoda’s solutions recommend he himself would not know all that rather more than these on the “outdoors”.
“I didn’t… I imply, to start with, we do not speak [often],” he replied, sounding virtually confused – maybe not by the query itself, however about the way it’s attainable for somebody to imagine that his path to Crimson Bull may even theoretically be “blocked”.
“We did not see [each other] a lot,” he added. “I do not know, however I do not assume so. I do not know, as a result of I met Christian, and he stated, you realize, ‘I control you’, no matter, you realize, stated he did not neglect [about me] or one thing like that, I assume. So I do not assume… I would not say, essentially, I fully acquired blocked.”
Then he added: “I hope.”
Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce, talks to Christian Horner, Workforce Principal, Crimson Bull Racing and Crimson Bull GmbH co-owner Mark Mateschitz
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
Loads has been manufactured from his emotional management. Tsunoda is shouty on the radio, he allegedly lets feelings take over and loses management. Not less than, that’s the stamp on him that emerged in 12 months one – and, okay, there’s no denying a few of his broadcasted messages do sound a bit noisy nonetheless. However is he the one one? And did not Verstappen, the man who the Crimson Bull bosses measure all their drivers towards, virtually fully lose it in Hungary earlier this 12 months, first lashing out at his race engineer after which crashing into Hamilton?
Feelings do take over typically. It occurs to the most effective of us, would not it? However solely in Tsunoda’s case is it seen because the rule quite than the exception – no matter how typically he truly permits himself to lift his voice after urgent the radio button.
“I’m positive I’ve stepped up in that space,” is his response. “And yeah, in the event that they stated that final 12 months, it is smart, however this 12 months, I stepped up rather a lot, I feel. And there is not many events that I went full uncontrolled, to be sincere. I do not assume so. In the event that they stated that, I do not assume… to be sincere, for me at the very least, that is not true, actually.
“And I noticed a number of drivers getting uncontrolled, and they do not get picked up a lot [in the broadcast]. So yeah, and I do not actually really feel essentially that I used to be being uncontrolled [in] numerous races.”
You’d in all probability want to return to final 12 months’s Mexican Grand Prix to seek out an instance of Tsunoda actually dropping outcome due to his mood. As he revealed later, he truly wished to show some extent in that race: ranging from the again of the grid due to the engine penalty, he virtually put himself ready to problem his then team-mate Ricciardo – however acquired annoyed as a result of he simply couldn’t go the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
He crashed and shouted on the radio. However that very mistake got here out of anger in direction of the world, which stored insisting that if Ricciardo “beats Tsunoda constantly” he’s going to finish up being Verstappen’s team-mate once more. Curiously, there was no provision for what ought to occur if the other occurs. And when the other did occur, the world simply determined that “it’s in all probability not the identical Ricciardo anymore”.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Workforce VCARB 01
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Tsunoda had outperformed Nyck de Vries earlier than that – just for the paddock to conclude that the Dutchman isn’t F1 materials. Regardless of all of the earlier speak about how, with all his expertise in different classes, he needs to be the chief of the Faenza group immediately. And proper now, Tsunoda continues to be comfortably forward of Lawson of their head-to-head qualifying battle. He scored extra factors as nicely.
In Liam’s case, there’s speak about “trajectory” and “potential” – and there’s room to enhance. It could actually’t be attainable that we’ve seen all he’s acquired. However, by that very same logic, there is no assure that his final potential is anyplace close to sufficient to match Verstappen. However since he is calm and confident, he in all probability will not let that change into an extra strain. Alternatively, if he is simply slower, what is the level of not worrying about it?
On the finish of the day, even when Tsunoda is just too emotional, he retains outqualifying and outscoring one team-mate after one other. Possibly not “destroying” them, however beating them comfortably.
“[From performances compared] to my team-mate is kind of clear, and…what I’ve achieved this 12 months is kind of clear that I ought to get an opportunity,” he stated. “However I do not know. It’s as much as them. Method 1 can be a political sport as nicely. And something can occur. I am positive partly the final race right here is kind of essential. However for me, I really feel like each race to date has been a vital race as a result of, began [from the] first race, preventing with Daniel, [had I lost to] Daniel, I’d be the individual in all probability proper now sitting on the couch.”
There have been errors, naturally. He crashed in Q2 in Mexico, ruining not solely his qualifying however his group’s possibilities to attain large factors that weekend. Which is fairly inexcusable – particularly when all eyes are in your battle with a brand new team-mate. It’s tough to not agree with Helmut Marko and see it as proof that Tsunoda isn’t actually good at dealing with strain. And his ill-fated try the subsequent day to regain all that was misplaced in a single nook could be taken as an indication of immaturity.
However that Mexican weekend doesn’t say something extra about Tsunoda than that he in all probability isn’t prepared for a high seat – regardless of making progress by means of his years in F1. He was not the most effective out there possibility this 12 months – if Crimson Bull had actually wished a confirmed high driver within the second automobile, Carlos Sainz would not have discovered himself settling for a Williams deal.
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
“Crimson Bull had me out there for six months, and so they did not decide me,” Sainz stated in the newest F1 podcast. “I feel it is as a result of I merely do not match into the kind of driver that they want proper now in Crimson Bull. And I am fully positive with that. If something, they’re making me a favour.”
And that is precisely the issue Crimson Bull is making an attempt to resolve. The perfect second driver must tick too many bins. He’s acquired to be fast, however in all probability cannot be too fast on the similar time – to not disturb Verstappen too typically or take away factors from him within the championship, even when solely in a few races a 12 months. He’s acquired to be formidable, however in all probability not formidable sufficient to not upset the camp. After which calm, self-confident and constant as nicely.
Sainz isn’t the kind of driver they’re searching for.
That driver is not Tsunoda both. That driver additionally is not Lawson. Even much less so, given his inexperience. That driver, maybe, would not actually exist.
But when Horner and Marko are actually discovering themselves needing to decide on between the 2 RB drivers, it’s simply acquired to be Tsunoda. As a result of throwing Lawson into the storage subsequent to Verstappen is just a repeat of the identical mistake they’d made many instances earlier than. A season in F1 wasn’t sufficient for Daniil Kvyat to be promoted to the senior group in 2015. A season and a bit wasn’t sufficient for Gasly a few years later. And the dozen races he acquired within the first half of 2019 proved to not be sufficient for Alex Albon.
Going the identical route with Lawson whereas having somebody within the system who over 4 years has confirmed he can study and consistently enhance, and who did beat all his team-mates within the final two years, simply doesn’t make sense.
Rewarding Tsunoda for all his work positive appears the one logical option to make proper now. And it is virtually as if that is why it in all probability will not occur.
Watch: Threats, Lies & Backstabbing: The Verstappen vs Russell Feud Defined – F1 Abu Dhabi Media Day
On this article
Oleg Karpov
Method 1
Yuki Tsunoda
Crimson Bull Racing
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