Martin Brundle Advocates for Liam Lawson's Continued Role at Racing Bulls
Martin Brundle argues that dropping Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls would be unjust, given his recent performance and growth. Lawson has outperformed his teammate and shown significant progress without the pressure of Helmut Marko's oversight.
Martin Brundle isn't shy about sharing his thoughts on Liam Lawson's future with Racing Bulls. The former driver turned commentator believes it would be rather harsh to remove Lawson from his seat after the young New Zealander's impressive recent performances. Lawson managed to finish in the top 10 during qualifying at the United States Grand Prix, and this is just the latest in a series of strong showings that have seen him surpass his teammate Arvid Lindblad in points this season.
Brundle points out that Lawson has even outscored Oscar Piastri, despite Piastri having the advantage of driving a more competitive McLaren. Brundle attributes Lawson's success partly to the absence of Helmut Marko's famously intense oversight, which can be daunting for young drivers. "In this game, you get your chance because somebody else gets kicked out," Brundle remarked on Sky Sports. "But it would seem very cruel if Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are not in those two cars next year."
Brundle suggests that young drivers benefit when they're not constantly worried about meeting Marko's high expectations. While Marko has been instrumental in discovering talents like Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and Max Verstappen, Brundle argues that giving drivers some breathing room to learn from their mistakes is essential. Besides, with Tsolov waiting in the wings, the competition for seats is fierce.
Lawson, who has been under considerable pressure due to Marko's management style, is starting to thrive in his role at Racing Bulls. Christian Horner's decision not to promote him permanently to the senior Red Bull team, after a brief stint, might have been a blessing in disguise. It gave Lawson the space to grow and demonstrate his capabilities.
When Lawson stepped up to fill in for Isack Hadjar, he showed just how much he's matured over the past couple of years. As Brundle emphasizes, it would indeed be 'ridiculously cruel' to cut Lawson's time on the grid short now that he is finding his stride.