That is the warning issued by F1 steward and former Sky F1 pundit Johnny Herbert, who is convinced that Tsunoda would get “close” to the level of Verstappen if they were Red Bull team-mates.
After Sergio Perez announced his exit from Red Bull Racing following an underwhelming F1 2024 campaign, the team looked within their driver pool for his replacement, though did not opt for the more experienced driver in their junior team.
Rather than calling Tsunoda up from Racing Bulls after four seasons in the B-team, Red Bull went with Liam Lawson, who after contesting 11 grands prix across two super-sub appearances, convinced the senior Red Bull squad that he was the driver to choose.
But, Herbert does not believe that Red Bull has chosen wisely.
“The one who has impressed me the most is Yuki,” he told Plejmo.com.
“I like his feistiness; he’s not afraid to shout. I like his qualifying. Where he has the edge is his strong head. He is not scared to say things either about his team or the other drivers around him. You need that type of mentality to go up against the best.
“Would he beat Max? I am not sure, but I think it would be close. That is what Red Bull needs.”
However, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko says Lawson is what the team needs, as he gave a full explanation as to why the Kiwi was picked over Tsunoda to take over as Verstappen’s team-mate.
Verstappen has developed the reputation of a Red Bull team-mate destroyer, with Perez following Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon in departing the team after struggling to match the performances of Verstappen.
“With his mental strength, Lawson is the one who is most likely to be able to hold his own alongside Max, and nobody can beat him at the moment anyway,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
“Due to his limited Grand Prix experience, we also see him as having the greatest potential for further development.
“The decision was certainly disappointing for him [Tsunoda]. His speed is undisputed, but he lacks a certain consistency and is also a very emotional driver.
“The overall package was just right for Lawson, but Yuki Tsunoda is the spearhead of the Racing Bulls.”
