Former Red Bull Racing chief Christian Horner has said it was not his decision to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
At the end of 2024, it was announced that Sergio Perez would leave the Milton Keynes-based team and be succeeded by Lawson alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Lawson competed in two race weekends before being moved to Racing Bulls, with Tsunoda promoted ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. The decision surprised many as Lawson had limited time to prove himself at unfamiliar circuits.
Speaking in the upcoming eighth season of Drive to Survive, Horner said: “It wasn’t my choice. I was always pushed to take drivers from the Young Driver Programme. Helmut was a big driver in it.”
He added on his departure: “Of course, your immediate reaction when you get delivered a s* sandwich like that is like, f*** them. I’ve had something taken away from me that wasn’t my choice, that was very precious to me.”**
Horner, who led Red Bull for 20 years, was later replaced by former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies. Reflecting on his tenure, he said:
“The reality is that for me over the last 20 years, on the good days and the bad days, it’s been an epic journey.”
Speculation has linked Horner with a potential return to Formula 1, though no move has been confirmed.
This and more will be revealed in the upcoming Drive to Survive docuseries releasing on February 27.
