Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes Red Bull have made a mistake promoting Liam Lawson instead of Yuki Tsunoda, and has questioned if Racing Bulls are a "junior team". Lawson was preferred over Tsunoda to partner Max Verstappen this year despite having never previously held a full-time F1 seat, with the New Zealander having only made 11 appearances for Racing Bulls across the last two years. Tsunoda has at least been given a role as Red Bull's reserve driver for 2025, alongside racing for the sister team for a fifth consecutive season. In Steiner's eyes, it should have been the Japanese driver who was chosen as Sergio Perez's replacement, given poor performances would have then opened the door to Red Bull parting ways with him. "I don't think that was the perfect choice," Steiner told GPblog . "Everything was a compromise. It's one of the choices. "I'm in the opinion maybe to know that [Yuki] should have been given the chance. I don't say deserved because you don't deserve anything, I always say. "But would have been a better bet, say we put him in the car one year, and see how he's doing. If he's not good, let him go. "Now he's sitting another year in the Racing Bull, and it’s not motivational for the guy as well."
What is Racing Bulls?
On top of Steiner questioning what will motivate Tsunoda this year following his latest Red Bull snub, the Italian has raised doubts over the purpose of the sister team. Racing Bulls has always been described as a 'junior' team, a place for Red Bull to promote its junior drivers from Formula 2 to F1 before deciding if a move to the main team is warranted. However, with Tsunoda entering his fifth year at the Faenza-based team, Steiner has questioned the status of Racing Bulls. "He's doing more of the same, but he's not exposed to make the step. It's like he's not given the opportunity, so why keep him around? I don't know." Steiner continued: "His fifth year in the junior team, right? Is it a junior team, or what is it?"
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