Amid Yuki Tsunoda’s Axing Rumors, Can Liam Lawson Upset the Home Hero at the 2023 Japanese GP?

As a Formula 1 driver, adapting to a new teammate doesn’t come easily and usually takes time. For AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda, who’s had three teammates this season, his situation is slowly becoming a nightmare. Against Nyck de Vries, Tsunoda comfortably outperformed the Dutchman, proving he has what it takes to drive for Red Bull one day. After Daniel Ricciardo came in, the experienced Aussie beat Tsunoda on his first outing. Considering that he lost to Ricciardo, no one really questioned the Japanese driver’s capabilities. Now that super-sub Liam Lawson has come in, the tides have changed.

In contrast to Ricciardo’s experience, Lawson is a rookie. When the Honey Badger broke his hand in Zandvoort, Lawson got the call-up and was expected to deliver. And boy, has he delivered! Three races into his F1 career, not only has he proved he’s worthy of a full-time seat, but he’s also thrown Tsunoda into troubled waters.

Liam Lawson could further jeopardize Yuki Tsunoda in Suzuka

As Lawson stepped into F1, he couldn’t have been greeted with a tougher first race. Apart from the physical challenges of Zandvoort, he had to drive in ever-changing weather conditions after just one practice session. Despite all of it, he came out on top, outperforming Tsunoda’s P15 with a P13. F1 pundit Danica Patrick discussed Tsunoda’s situation on Sky Sports. She said, “It’s one thing to be against your teammate the whole year and not necessarily know the difference. But then when you get thrown brand new drivers and each one of them goes faster than you, it’s not a good sign.”

This came after AlphaTauri CEO Peter Bayer mentioned that he would like to have one young and experienced driver on the team. Yes, AlphaTauri is Red Bull’s way of getting junior drivers into the sport, but it’s also an independent team. In this equation, Daniel Ricciardo would be the experienced driver choice. The second seat is where Tsunoda might face an apparent threat from Lawson. There have been talks that Red Bull might shift Tsunoda to a reserve driver role to make room for Lawson in Alpha. After the young New Zealander’s Singapore GP performance, the odds might be in his favor.

The Marina Bay Circuit is one of the most difficult to master. Despite this being his first time racing there—not to mention in an F1 car—Lawson made it look like the easiest job on the planet. He did so well that after qualifying; he was the best-placed Red Bull driver for the race. On Sunday, he converted his P10 into his maiden points-scoring finish, while Tsunoda couldn’t make it past Lap 1. Seeing as Ricciardo is still recovering, Lawson will fill in for him next weekend at the Japanese GP. Homeboy Tsunoda needs to watch his back.

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In an interview with RNZ, Lawson talked about racing in Japan. He said, “I definitely know Japan better than Singapore. It’s an awesome track.” He’s raced in Japan for most of this year in the Super Formula Championship, so he knows Suzuka like the back of his hand. Considering how well he did in Singapore without experience, we can only imagine the show he’ll put on in Suzuka. One thing is for sure: If Tsunoda isn’t on top of his game, Lawson will probably walk all over him. From the looks of it, Lawson is gunning for more than just the top-dog status in Japan.

Liam Lawson is coming for Yuki Tsunoda’s seat

Ricciardo has given Lawson a golden opportunity. He knows it, and Red Bull knows it. In an interview with F1, Christian Horner said, “This is a golden moment in his career for him to demonstrate what he’s capable of. So, we’re obviously following his progress very closely. It’s down to him to make the best use of it.” Following the three race weekends he’s stepped into an F1 car, it’s evident Lawson has that F1 pedigree. If you were impressed with his performance in Singapore, he wasn’t as happy as he wanted.

He told Sky Sports, “I need to sort these starts because it’s two weekends in a row now that I’ve lost two spots off the line, and it’s just making our life more difficult.” This is what makes him so good—the ability to make room for improvement even when everyone else thinks he did the best he could. He discussed his mindset for the coming weekend: “I have this very short window, and I want to get to the end of it and look back and know that I’ve done everything I could. For me, it’s just focusing on every session, trying to maximise each time I’m in the car and show what I can.”

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Who do you think will come out on top in Japan? Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda? Will Lawson manage to get a seat for 2024?