Jacques Villeneuve: Red Bull's decision to cut 'arrogant' Liam Lawson 'makes sense'
By Simon Head
Red Bull's decision to cut Liam Lawson from the team and swap him for Racing Bulls ace Yuki Tsunoda after just two races of the new season has rocked the F1 paddock, but former world champion Jacques Villeneuve isn't surprised by the move in the least.
The former Williams Racing star, who captured the world drivers' championship in 1997, knows all about the cut-throat world of F1, and with Red Bull already having a reputation for being tough on their second-string drivers it was always expected that Lawson would be on a short leash.
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And, after two disastrous results to kick off the 2025 season, Red Bull bosses have acted swiftly to demote Lawson to the Racing Bulls team, with Tsunoda moving up to take the second seat at Red Bull, alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
It's a move that many view as brutal, and unfair on Lawson, with the New Zealander barely settled into his race seat before he was turfed out again. But Villeneuve said that Red Bull's approach is well known, and shouldn't come as a surprise
"It makes sense, because you can have one bad race, but not two in a row on the same track, and not in a Red Bull. That's the problem," Villeneuve told NZCasino.
"Had he been in a Sauber, it would have been OK, but not in a Red Bull. Not when the other guy, in this case Max Verstappen, manages to be close to the front, even with a difficult car.
“Lawson does have the experience because he was in a bunch of races last year. When they were teammates Yuki Tsunoda was quicker. Red Bull needed to do something. I don’t think Lawson right now is driving to his full potential. Mentally he is crushed, and it is hard to step out of that.
“But that’s the price you pay when you get to a big team. It either works right away or you get dropped. That is the risk you are willing to take so you have to accept it.
“But he will still be racing in F1. He has the same contract. It doesn't change the contract the drivers have. They are Red Bull drivers.”
Lawson failed to finish the season opener in Melbourne, Australia, and could manage no better than 12th at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Those performances were enough to convince the higher-ups at Red Bull to pull the trigger.
Taking the second seat at Red Bull has been a poisoned chalice for F1 drivers over the years, and because of that, Villeneuve said that Lawson should have known what he was walking into.
The Canadian star also suggested the Lawson's demeanor hasn't done him any favors, either, with Villeneuve branding the 23-year-old arrogant.
“These two races didn't do much good for him in the paddock," he said.
"It's very simple and that's the risk. When you start with Red Bull you have to be on it right away. And that's the price to pay for being put in the best team.
"You want to take that risk? Good. But then the opposite side is you'll pay a dear price if it doesn't work out. That's just the way it is.
"And that’s OK. That's how it should be. I thought they might give him another three races when they come back to Europe so they could then make a considered decision.
“You have to bear in mind that he came into F1 very arrogant. He came into F1 last year saying how amazing he would be and he had an attitude.
“When the results don’t come, it makes everybody react even stronger. It's actually the worst result ever in a Red Bull car. So, he's paying his own price there. He set himself up in a way.”
With the switch now official, all eyes will be on Tsunoda as he looks to succeed at Red Bull where Lawson failed, by becoming a legitimate teammate and supporting driver for the team.
Villeneuve said that even promoting Tsunoda – who many felt should have been given the chance ahead of Lawson in the first place – represents a gamble by the team.
“Tsunoda would be more competitive, but will he be competitive enough? I don't know," admitted Villeneuve.
"It's really hard to judge Tsunoda’s real level, but he was quicker than Lawson last year, not by much and he had more experience.
“We just know that he is fiery and very aggressive and that he makes mistakes, like we saw in Mexico, and that is costly as well."
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