Liam Lawson v Yuki Tsunoda: Who has ‘done enough’ to be saved by Red Bull?

On the eve of their final audition to save their F1 futures, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda both believe they’ve done enough to save their Formula 1 futures and secure a spot on next year’s grid.

But with Isack Hajar expected to join Red Bull Racing, there’s a slew of dreams on the verge of being crushed – perhaps as early as Monday. The big question isn’t so much Red Bull, but will either Lawson or Tsunoda even be in Formula 1 next year?

Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda: All you need to know

⦁ Under-fire drivers believe they’ve ‘done enough’ to secure F1 futures
⦁ At least one dream is widely expected to be crushed
⦁ Red Bull could make its decision after the Mexico City GP

Max Verstappen’s two F1 2025 teammates, Lawson and Tsunoda, are fighting for their Formula 1’s futures with neither driver having staked their claim on a race seat for next year’s championship.

Lawson, who spent two weekends with Red Bull before being demoted to Racing Bulls, has been outshone by Hadjar. Although he has narrowed the gap to nine points, Hadjar’s podium in Zandvoort sets him apart.

As for Tsunoda, he has the biggest deficit of any driver to his teammate, 306 points to 28, and, unlike the race-winning Verstappen, hasn’t even come close to stepping onto the podium.

Yet both drivers believe they’ve done enough to warrant a new contract.

“I think hindsight’s amazing,” Lawson said in Mexico City when questioned on that. “You always look back on stuff that you’ve done and you always learn from things.

“We’re not perfect – I’m definitely not perfect – and for sure there’s things over a season that I’ll look back on and learn from mainly.

“But I think that’s the main thing – as long as I look back on those mistakes and I learn from them and try not to do them again, that’s the most important thing.

“So I think from that side, yes, I feel like I’ve done everything that I can, and I’ll continue doing that.”

That same question was put to Tsunoda, the Japanese driver replying: “Yeah. I’m confident in what I’ve done and the situation I’m in.

“Obviously, I try to give the best as much as possible to improve myself as soon as possible and score points. So yeah, I just keep doing what I’m doing. It’s up to them, really. It’s what kind of team line-up they want.

“But I think I’ve improved a lot of things, and I also keep improving myself to deserve… that I can be in the same team next year.”

As the questions about their F1 futures continued, the two under-fire drivers were asked what they thought would be the deciding factors behind Red Bull’s eventual decision.

“I’m just going to drive as fast as I can every time I get in the car,” declared Lawson. “I don’t think that changes too much. I think obviously it’s a results-based programme – it’s always been performance-based since I joined when I was 16. It was always about performing and then you get promoted and stay in the sport.

“That’s literally as simple as I can put it.”

Liam Lawson “simple” plan to secure his F1 future…

“I’m just going to drive as fast as I can every time I get in the car.”#F1 #MexicoCityGP pic.twitter.com/4Tfy6IBGSM

— Michelle Foster (@michf1fos) October 24, 2025

Tsunoda replied: “I guess the results, right? I think for me it’s more clear – it’s just like, it’s been a crucial moment as a team and also for the championship, especially with my teammate. So how much I can support that.

“And yeah, this is the potential, like I said, to be P2 in the team championship, which is very good. And what I scored in Austin was obviously a good step. So, yeah, I’m going to have to do more.

“Or, yeah, it’s basically more of the same and just keep scoring every race. Which probably, you know, others, especially last few years, Red Bull drivers struggled with that. So I think, like I said, I’m in the right trajectory, especially in the second half of the season. I’m showing good things each race.

“That’s it. I think I’ve proved a lot of things in past years and especially being on the season in different teams. So just… what I have to do is quite clear.”

Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda: Who will line up for Racing Bulls?

Unfortunately for Tsunoda and his dream of remaining at “the same team next year”, that looks set to be crushed with Hadjar tipped to replace him as Verstappen’s next teammate.

Well-informed sources have told us that team advisor Helmut Marko has already informed Hadjar that he has earned his spot at the senior team, although other sources have indicated conversations between the pair have not been as absolute with no deal signed as of mid-September.

Hadjar’s promotion would mean the end of Tsunoda’s time at Red Bull Racing, leaving him with only one option for next season – returning to Racing Bulls. But that pits him against Lawson, who is vying to remain with the Red Bull sister team.

And it very much looks as if there’s space for only one of them.

Arvid Lindblad is being tipped to join Racing Bulls for his rookie campaign, leaving just one seat available for either Lawson, who is wrapping up his first full season in the sport, or Tsunoda, who has five years with the Red Bull squads.

It harks back to former team principal Christian Horner’s explanation back in December as to why Red Bull chose Lawson over Tsunoda.

“I think the feeling within the team is that the trajectory Liam is on has more potential, which is why we’ve taken that route,” he said.

Both Lawson and Tsunoda could make an argument for the seat; Lawson having rebuilt himself after his Red Bull exit, and Tsunoda finding his feet as upgrades have made the RB21 more driveable.

But for both, the argument could also be made as to why their days are numbered; Lawson cracked up Red Bull pressure, and Tsunoda has yet to put in a stand-out drive with Red Bull.

Mexico or Abu Dhabi? Candidates weigh in on Red Bull timeline

The two have one more race weekend, the Mexico City Grand Prix, to sway the debate.

“We’ll make our decision after Mexico,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung.

It’s a decision that neither Tsunoda or Lawson are in a rush to learn.

Asked if he would like to know Red Bull’s plans today or only at the end of Tsunoda replied: “That’s a crazy question. I’ve been in this Red Bull family for five years, and I know how it works here. I’ve been in this kind of situation pretty much every year so far. I know how it’s handled in Red Bull.

“So I just keep proving myself and maximise the opportunity. My most important thing is I’m very grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given, and I just have to maximise it as much as possible. That’s the only focus I’m doing.”

Lawson added: “I have no idea, to be honest. I haven’t thought about that specifically. I feel like if it was something that was clear and the decision was made, I feel like we probably would know, and maybe that would be better.

“But at the same time, I think the main thing is it just doesn’t really change how we approach each weekend. So at the moment, as we’re obviously still waiting on everything that’s going to happen, I think our approaches will just stay the same and try and extract everything out of each weekend.”

Hadjar too is happy to wait.

“Actually, I’d like to know at the end of the year, because it’s more annoying than anything, all the noise,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets during media day for the Mexico City Grand Prix. “So, five races to keep pushing,

“Twelve months ago, it was all a bit unsure for me. I had an idea. But this year it’s true that I am in a better position because I know I am in Formula One next year.

“Last year, I didn’t know what I was doing so, yeah, now, I’m a lot less panicked.”

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