Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has stated that the decision to demote Liam Lawson after two races in the 2025 Formula 1 season and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda was not his own. Speaking in the eighth season of Netflix's Drive to Survive, Horner attributed the move to pressure from Helmut Marko. The abrupt change highlighted ongoing turbulence within the team.
At the end of 2024, Red Bull Racing confirmed that Sergio Perez, who had been with the team since 2021, would be replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson for the 2025 season. Lawson was set to race alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen. However, after just two race weekends—his debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai—Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, with Yuki Tsunoda stepping in.
Lawson's opportunities came at tracks he had not previously raced on. In Melbourne, he was eliminated in the first round of qualifying. Horner had commented at the time, “as we get to tracks that he starts to know, I think he’ll start to come alive.” Yet, following another underwhelming performance in Shanghai, the decision was made to replace him. This move drew comparisons to Red Bull's past mid-season driver changes, including the sackings of Pierre Gasly in 2019 and Daniil Kvyat in 2016.
In the upcoming eighth season of Drive to Survive, Horner clarified his position: “It wasn't my choice. I was always pushed to take drivers from the Young Driver Programme. Helmut was a big driver in it.” The Briton, who served as Red Bull Racing's CEO and team principal for 20 years, was himself replaced by former Racing Bulls principal Laurent Mekies. Horner and Marko both departed the organization, with Horner ousted following the British Grand Prix and Marko leaving in December.
Reflecting on his exit, Horner expressed a sense of loss: “I never imagined to be in this position. Of course, your immediate reaction when you get delivered a s*** sandwich like that is like, f*** them. I've had something taken away from me that wasn't my choice, that was very precious to me.” He described his tenure as “an epic journey” over two decades, noting changes within the company after the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz, which led to perceptions of him having too much control. Horner denied that Max Verstappen's father was involved in his departure, instead pointing to Red Bull’s CEO of investments and corporate projects, Oliver Mintzlaff, advised by Marko.
