• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 12, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Red Bull Could Replace Driver Liam Lawson, With Millions on the Line

Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Pérez at Red Bull this season but has failed to score a single point through two races.

Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The second Formula One race of the season concluded over the weekend, and there’s already a potential shake-up happening at Red Bull.

The team is considering dropping Liam Lawson, the 23-year-old driver who has failed to score through the first two races in Australia and China, according to ESPN. Lawson entered this season as a replacement for Sergio Pérez after the latter’s struggles last year led to Red Bull falling to third in the constructors’ championship despite Max Verstappen winning the drivers’ championship for the fourth time in a row.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner didn’t confirm any decision following the race in China but didn’t rule out a change. “We’ve just finished this race. We’re going to take away the info and have a good look at it,” Horner said.

The decision on Lawson’s future is reportedly expected in the coming days.

Red Bull is third in the championship with 36 points—all from Verstappen—behind McLaren (78 points) and Mercedes (57 points). 

An Eight-Figure Decision

It’s unclear exactly how much teams earn from prize money at the end of the Formula One season, but Sky Sports reported the purse is about 50% of F1’s commercial-rights revenue every year. Red Bull reportedly earned around $140 million for winning the constructors’ title in 2023, with each team below receiving about $9 million to $10 million less than the team above it.

With 22 races left on the 2025 calendar, there is time for Red Bull to catch the leaders. However, Lawson has not come close to a points finish and has failed to make it out of the first round of qualifying through two weekends, including finishing P20 in China.

The likely replacement for Lawson would be Yuki Tsunoda, the lead driver of the Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s junior team. Tsunoda, who could reportedly unseat Lawson by the Japanese Grand Prix—his home race—in two weeks, is in his fifth season with the Racing Bulls. He was a candidate to replace Pérez but lost out to Lawson.

Tsunoda has scored three points this season, all coming from a sixth-place finish at the sprint race in China. But he has qualified in the top 10 in all of the races so far this year, outqualifying Lawson in each of them despite running in the supposedly slower car. Tsunoda has said he’s “100%” ready for the promotion to Red Bull

The second seat at Red Bull has been a revolving door as the team has had five drivers sit next to Verstappen since he joined the team full-time in 2017. Pérez’s four-year run was the longest stretch of any of the drivers.

McLaren Stays on Top, Same Old Ferrari

After winning the constructors’ title last year for the first time since 1998, McLaren has started the 2025 season on top. A McLaren driver has won each of the first two races, capped off by a 1–2 finish in China.

Ferrari looked poised to be McLaren’s biggest challenger entering this season, especially after the addition of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. However, Ferrari sits in a tie with midfield team Williams Racing at fourth after both its drivers were disqualified in the Chinese GP for their cars breaching regulations—continuing a recent trend of costly blunders by the team.

The Scuderia lost 18 points due to the disqualification. It lost last year’s title to McLaren by 14 points.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

F1’s McLaren Valued at More Than $5B After Recent Stake Sale

MSP Capital purchased its stake in McLaren in 2020.

More Dildo Throwing During WNBA Games Leads to Second Arrest

The 18-year-old threw a dildo that hit another fan and his young niece.

Smelling Salts Not Banned in the NFL, but Teams Can’t Hand Them..

Teams are banned from supplying smelling salts to their players.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Mar 3, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center.
Sponsored

Hornets Cancel Sports Betting Night Vs. Heat Over Terry Rozier Tie-In

Terry Rozier is under federal investigation for point-shaving in a 2023 game when he was on the Hornets.
Sep 10, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A general view of the main scoreboard at Yankee Stadium during a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk before the game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers.
September 11, 2025

Yankees Prepare for Security Chaos With Trump at 9/11 Game, Days After..

The team told fans to arrive three hours early without any bags.
May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena.
September 11, 2025

Clippers Minority Owner Allegedly Invested in Aspiration to Pay Kawhi

Minority investor Dennis Wong allegedly invested in Aspiration as well.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 9, 2025

Clippers, Kawhi Leonard Draw New Scrutiny As More Details Emerge

The NBA has commenced an investigation.
September 8, 2025

Bears, Without State Funding, Officially Pivot Stadium to Suburbs

The NFL team formally abandons its plans for a downtown stadium.
Jul 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries fans acknowledge local basketball alumni during a time out against the Phoenix Mercury during the second quarter at Chase Center.
September 7, 2025

Valkyries Set WNBA Attendance Record in Inaugural Season

The Valkyries joined the WNBA as an expansion team this season.
Mar 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer leaves his court side seat after a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
September 5, 2025

‘They Conned Me’: Ballmer Responds to Kawhi Leonard Allegations

Ballmer spoke on “SportsCenter” about the allegations he broke NBA rules.