2024 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[DChemTech]

Just another stupid decision. Yuki deserves the seat and rookie Liam isn't ready yet for a top team.

Maybe they choose to keep Yuki at VCARB because Hadjar will be there and Hadjar and Liam is a bad combination with both less experience.

In the old days they didn't have much issue with rookie pairings in the junior team, heck Sainz and Verstappen was a rookie pairing back in 2015.

I also don't think it would be huge problem because Lawson despite not doing a full season has already shown himself to be at least adequate, so he could play the yardstick role.

If Hadjar were to beat him, it would be pretty impressive, imo about the same level of achievement that if he manages to beat Yuki next year.

They had no issue with a rookie pairing, but did retain Max, who was obviously hauled as the next big thing, for 1.5 years before promoting him (and even then via an - uncommon - mid-season swap). They took the time for him to develop before moving up. They did not do so for Albon (due to lack of alternatives perhaps) and it did not turn out great. But here they do have the alternative. Nobody would be surprised if the more experienced VCARB driver would be promoted first. Noone would be surprised if RB choses not to promote a driver that has far less than a full season of mileage. There is the alternative with multiple seasons under his belt, and there is the option to still promote Lawson after 1.5 year if Yuki does not deliver in 2025, while giving Liam the chance to hone his skills outside of the full spotlight. It should not be insulting to Lawson to promote Yuki over him either, considering all this. So really, in my view there seems to be very, very little reason to give Lawson priority.

[!Technical]

Sad to see that Yuki doesn't get a chance in a top car, but I was expecting this lineup to be announced

[Wouter]

When has anyone ever been promoted to a top team after just 11 GPs? I can't remember and I find it unbelievable.
Give Yuki the chance to show what he can do with that RB21, he deserves it.

[Seanspeed]

Just another stupid decision. Yuki deserves the seat and rookie Liam isn't ready yet for a top team.

I really dont think it matters that much. I dont think either of these guys are all that good. And I think Tsunoda has become a bit bizarrely rated for some reason. Gasly was clearly better than him in both their seasons together, and after that, who has Tsunoda beaten?

First time in quite a while where Red Bull really just doesn't have any more highly promising junior options in a time of need.

And frankly, I suspect either of these drivers will have a better chance of staying in F1 for a reasonable stint by avoiding being Verstappen's teammate. lol Especially when I think Red Bull's chances of having a top car next year are not all that great. A car that's less straightforward to drive and setup combined with time gaps to your teammate having bigger potential position gaps in qualifying can be a very difficult place when you're up against the best driver in a generation as your only direct comparison.

[DChemTech]

When has anyone ever been promoted to a top team after just 11 GPs? I can't remember and I find it unbelievable.
Give Yuki the chance to show what he can do with that RB21, he deserves it.

It's a philosophy of course. McLaren has 'promoted' people after 0 GPs. But was not always kind to them (e.g. dropping Magnussen after what was perhaps more of a car problem than a driver problem)

[Wouter]

Just another stupid decision. Yuki deserves the seat and rookie Liam isn't ready yet for a top team.

I really dont think it matters that much. I dont think either of these guys are all that good.
And I think Tsunoda has become a bit bizarrely rated for some reason.
Gasly was clearly better than him in both their seasons together,and after that, who has Tsunoda beaten?

,
Gasly already had 64 GP's (3,5 year F1) more experience when he got rookie Yuki as his teammate!!

And before that:

- 2 years Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0/Formula Renault 2.0 NEC and Formula Renault 2.0 Alps.

- 1 year Formula Renault 3.5 Series

- 3 years GP2 Series

- 2 races in Formula E

- 1 year in the Super Formula in Japan!!!

Yuki only drove 1 year in F3 and 1 year in F2 and you want to compare them as teammates?!

[FW17]

When has anyone ever been promoted to a top team after just 11 GPs? I can't remember and I find it unbelievable.
Give Yuki the chance to show what he can do with that RB21, he deserves it.

Even the alex albon got 12 races before stepping up. Now he runs a school.

[zeroday]

Lawson will get wrecked hard by Max next year. Another rookie thrown into meatgrinder. Yuki would probably also got beaten but at this time, how much time he has in Vcarb? Can't drive it forever?

One day Max will be given a P2 driver that is actually skilled. I cant understand why almost every other team has two talented drivers but for Max they tend to be afraid to hurt his feelings and so give him weak teammates. Maybe its in his contract?

I won't be surprised Lawson ends up as Perez 2.0 not because Max will wreck him, but because i find he isn't special and at times comes off as just naturally weak.

The most commonsense decision for that seat would have been Valteri Bottas -- impeccably skilled and will happily play P2. Sure he will challenge Max for wins but Bottas is a guarantee to haul in the all-important points for the team, which is all they care about, Max feelings be damned. Bad management going with Lawson tbh.

2025 has a lot of new unique variables all down the grid. Should be a very interesting season.

[FW17]

Lawson will get wrecked hard by Max next year. Another rookie thrown into meatgrinder. Yuki would probably also got beaten but at this time, how much time he has in Vcarb? Can't drive it forever?

One day Max will be given a P2 driver that is actually skilled. I cant understand why almost every other team has two talented drivers but for Max they tend to be afraid to hurt his feelings and so give him weak teammates. Maybe its in his contract?

I won't be surprised Lawson ends up as Perez 2.0 not because Max will wreck him, but because i find he isn't special and at times comes off as just naturally weak.

The most commonsense decision for that seat would have been Valteri Bottas -- impeccably skilled and will happily play P2. Sure he will challenge Max for wins but Bottas is a guarantee to haul in the all-important points for the team, which is all they care about, Max feelings be damned. Bad management going with Lawson tbh.

2025 has a lot of new unique variables all down the grid. Should be a very interesting season.

You can name Carlos as the (strong) driver you want to see next to Max. I don't see the results being any different to Sergio, Alex or Pierre.
Carlos was falling to bits in the early stages of 2022 when the car was heading the direction of Charles driving preference. He and his dad used every political trick available to get a more balanced car from Mattia.

[DDopey]

What benefit would RB have from putting Yuki in that seat. Honda is joining AM, of course RB will not sponsor Yuki in his further development. Honda should have known better, Yuki pays the price.

[f1isgood]

In the end, those who have it will make it. Lawson or Yuki doesn't matter. If Lawson is successful, then great. If he's not, Yuki might get a shot or he may not.

[Wouter]

One day Max will be given a P2 driver that is actually skilled. I cant understand why almost every other team has two talented drivers
but for Max they tend to be afraid to hurt his feelings and so give him weak teammates. Maybe its in his contract?

.
???
.

The most commonsense decision for that seat would have been Valteri Bottas -- impeccably skilled and will happily play P2.
Sure he will challenge Max for wins but Bottas is a guarantee to haul in the all-important points
for the team, which is all they care about, Max feelings be damned. Bad management going with Lawson tbh.

.
Bottas will challenge Max for wins??? Bottas can't attack and can't defend properly.

[dren]

Will Lawsom make it past the summer break before being swapped with a VCARB driver?

[Sieper]

Lawson will get wrecked hard by Max next year. Another rookie thrown into meatgrinder. Yuki would probably also got beaten but at this time, how much time he has in Vcarb? Can't drive it forever?

One day Max will be given a P2 driver that is actually skilled. I cant understand why almost every other team has two talented drivers but for Max they tend to be afraid to hurt his feelings and so give him weak teammates. Maybe its in his contract?

I won't be surprised Lawson ends up as Perez 2.0 not because Max will wreck him, but because i find he isn't special and at times comes off as just naturally weak.

The most commonsense decision for that seat would have been Valteri Bottas -- impeccably skilled and will happily play P2. Sure he will challenge Max for wins but Bottas is a guarantee to haul in the all-important points for the team, which is all they care about, Max feelings be damned. Bad management going with Lawson tbh.

2025 has a lot of new unique variables all down the grid. Should be a very interesting season.

“Bottas will challenge Max for wins.” You’ll be in for a cold shower. Bottas will never finish anywhere close to max in the same car. He wasnt even able to keep Max behind in a far quicker Mercedes 9 out of 10 times.

[Sevach]

They had no issue with a rookie pairing, but did retain Max, who was obviously hauled as the next big thing, for 1.5 years before promoting him (and even then via an - uncommon - mid-season swap). They took the time for him to develop before moving up. They did not do so for Albon (due to lack of alternatives perhaps) and it did not turn out great. But here they do have the alternative. Nobody would be surprised if the more experienced VCARB driver would be promoted first. Noone would be surprised if RB choses not to promote a driver that has far less than a full season of mileage. There is the alternative with multiple seasons under his belt, and there is the option to still promote Lawson after 1.5 year if Yuki does not deliver in 2025, while giving Liam the chance to hone his skills outside of the full spotlight. It should not be insulting to Lawson to promote Yuki over him either, considering all this. So really, in my view there seems to be very, very little reason to give Lawson priority.

Agreed, it's a much different situation to what it looked like for Sainz in 2016, or for Gasly when he got demoted.
Sainz was a rookie at the same time as Verstappen(while being older) and Max won the promotion, with Max and Ricciardo RBR looked locked up for the forseeable future, his promotion opportunities looked bleak, so he wanted out from the program.

The Lawson situation is different because he would "losing" to a guy who is way more experienced than himself.
And this guy may not be able to stick at the big team for very long, Lawson's path would still be clear and simple, stomp rookie team mate, wait for Yuki to be moved or Max fall for Toto's "seduction".