Liam Lawson may have already proven Karun Chandhok’s Red Bull theory right after Australian Grand Prix woes

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Liam Lawson suffered a miserable Red Bull debut at the Australian Grand Prix as he failed to make Q2 on Saturday before retiring from the race on Sunday.

The decision to promote Lawson despite his inexperience caught some people by surprise during the off-season, but his team have backed him so far.

Red Bull’s pace hasn’t looked too promising and they may have been saved by the rain during the Australian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen showed why he’s a four-time champion, but his new teammate struggled all weekend to find any pace at all.

Alex Albon sent Lawson a five-word message in Melbourne ahead of his official full-time debut in the sport.

Sadly, the event didn’t go to plan as he crashed out. Lawson was struck by Verstappen’s confidence in data after analysing it in detail. He may have realised how tough it will be to beat him.

READ MORE: Liam Lawson desperate to learn Max Verstappen trait that’s a ‘huge part’ of being a successful F1 driver

Liam Lawson may have proved Karun Chandhok’s ‘too soon’ theory about Red Bull promotion right

With just 12 starts under his belt, Lawson has a lot of room for improvement and should climb up the drivers’ championship with experience.

Lawson sent Christian Horner a proud message when it was confirmed that he would receive the opportunity to drive for one of the best teams in the sport in 2025.

But Karun Chandhok was worried about whether the chance comes too soon for the Kiwi and said this in March.

“I’m a bit worried that he’s in there too soon. You could run the risk of him being the next one to join the queue of drivers getting burned too early in their career,” he told Sky Sports.

“Whereas, if they kept him and Yuki at Racing Bulls for another year, had someone else there for another year or two, and then give Liam a chance when he’s a bit more experienced… I really hope he proves me wrong.”

The lights were bright at the season-opener and he struggled to cope with them. The upcoming Japanese Grand Prix is a chance for redemption under some big pressure.

READ MORE: Liam Lawson reveals Christian Horner’s stern warning after he gave Sergio Perez the middle finger in 2024

Who could Red Bull replace Liam Lawson with if he struggles in 2025?

With every driver that passes, Red Bull have fewer options when it comes to partnering someone with the current reigning champion.

In hindsight, maybe the experienced Yuki Tsunoda would have been their best option for 2025, especially after he was so impressive for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls in Australia.

He qualified fifth, not far behind Verstappen in what is meant to be a slower car on paper. It may not be too late to give him a call.

It appears that he would be their only option if they were to do a mid-season swap in 2025. That would be very harsh on their new driver no matter how poorly he performs, though.