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Max Verstappen-Liam Lawson Photograph: (X)
With Yuki Tsunada sitting in the wings for the past four years, Red Bull made a controversial decision to promote Liam Lawson for the second seat in the team, replacing Sergio Perez.
Lawson will have a huge burden on his shoulder as Red Bull have entrusted him over other experienced options. He will also be under pressure from teammate Max Verstappen, who has been the World Champion for the last four seasons.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull team advisor and former F1 racer, has issued a warning to Lawson to accept Verstappen's superiority in the team setup. Marko added that he should not make the same mistake as Verstappen's previous teammates of getting involved in the technical side of things.
"Gradually, he will have to improve as much as possible. But always keeping in mind that he is driving alongside the best F1 driver at the moment," he told Sport.de.
"In doing so, he should not get involved in the technical side of things—such as setups and strategies, for example. Something other teammates have done in the past. Liam will have to accept that Verstappen is the best. We will see how close he can get, but he should not get in the car with the aim of beating Verstappen. That has gone wrong with all his teammates," he added.
Red Bull look to regain track dominance
Red Bull were not at the best of their abilities in the 2024 season. While Verstappen was able to retain his driver's championship, the Austrian team did not win the constructor's championship, largely because of Sergio Perez's performances. McLaren and Ferrari were at their neck throughout the season, with the Papaya Team winning eventually.
In addition, Verstappen faced great threat from McLaren's Lando Norris and only won the championship in Las Vegas. He now intends to keep himself under pressure to help him do better in the upcoming season.
"I always keep the pressure on. Also, on myself. I try not to think too lightly about it. At one point, the car was barely steerable. This was all I could get out of it," he said in an interview with De Telegraaf.