Liam Lawson deserves more time to prove himself against Max Verstappen at Red Bull, one key statistic proves it

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Liam Lawson has been very underwhelming alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull this year after making the jump from Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

Red Bull are not performing anywhere near the standard expected of them and must find a way to extract more pace from the RB21 soon.

Otherwise, Max Verstappen’s chase of a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship is going to come up well short.

There is already talk of Lawson being demoted after just two races, which is unfair on the 22-year-old who deserves time to prove himself.

Verstappen is doing something Red Bull have never seen before and is working harder than ever to improve their car after finishing sixth at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Christian Horner refuses to accept why Lawson is so slow and does not believe that experience is a factor in his struggles.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen humiliates Red Bull with incredible Liam Lawson statement at Chinese Grand Prix

Liam Lawson deserves more time at Red Bull after closing the gap to Max Verstappen

With all the talk of a potential Lawson to Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull swap, one statistic may have been overlooked by everyone within the Formula 1 paddock.

There is so much negativity surrounding the Kiwi’s results that nothing positive has been discussed as of yet. It is being saved for when he scores points or makes Q3.

However, there may be cause for celebration already. It’s not to say that Lawson will keep hold of his seat heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, but there are promising signs.

After qualifying 1.076 seconds behind Verstappen in Melbourne, that gap closed to just 0.813 seconds in sprint qualifying in China.

No doubt experience and car data will have played a role, but the situation improved again ahead of main qualifying at Shanghai, where despite qualifying 20th, the gap between the teammates was 0.750 seconds.

The margin is reducing with every session and it shows that Lawson may have improved already. He’s 25% closer to Verstappen than he was just two weeks ago. It’s part of the reason why he deserves more time.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez ‘contributed’ to Liam Lawson’s Red Bull issues with behind-the-scenes act last season

Who could Red Bull replace Liam Lawson with during the 2025 F1 season?

There are a few options available to Red Bull if they decide that they can have more success with an alternative appointment this season.

The most unlikely is Red Bull signing Franco Colapinto, who is a contracted reserve driver of Alpine. Not only would singing him come at a cost, but it would leave Lawson without a seat.

A straight swap with Yuki Tsunoda, who was snubbed for the gig last year, makes a lot more sense considering his level of experience too.

After 92 races, he knows how everything in the sport works and has led the sister team for more than two seasons.

He’s no alien to responsibility and the pressure of Helmut Marko. Red Bull swapping Tsunoda is likely if Lawson fails to improve, however his one-lap pace proves he may just need one more race before being abandoned.