Yuki Tsunoda has finally earned his long-awaited promotion to Red Bull after four years with the junior team.

However, even with his step up, he is not the driver who should be lining up alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.

Red Bull’s Questionable Decision-Making

Red Bull’s decision to promote Liam Lawson into the senior team for 2025 was nothing short of disastrous. All it accomplished was shattering the confidence of a young driver.

Sure, Lawson could have performed better in his two Grand Prix weekends with Red Bull. You simply can’t qualify last in a healthy Red Bull twice, even at an unfamiliar track.

But in reality, he was set up to fail by his own bosses.

Christian Horner has spoken about Red Bull’s “duty of care” to look after Lawson following his demotion back to Racing Bulls.

While it may seem laughable on the surface, Red Bull has learned valuable lessons from the harsh handling of Daniil Kvyat after his swap with Verstappen in 2016.

That move left Kvyat completely broken, with the media session at the 2016 German Grand Prix being a particularly painful example.

It was evident, however, from the moment Red Bull crushed Daniel Ricciardo’s comeback in Singapore last year that Lawson was their long-term plan for 2025.

In Red Bull’s official announcement of Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat, he was only confirmed for the final six races of the season there was no mention of his future beyond that.

At the same time, it was clear that Sergio Perez would be released after a dreadful campaign. No matter the struggles with the car, scoring just 48 points in 18 races in a Red Bull especially after a strong start was unacceptable.

So, Red Bull replaced a veteran with 281 Grand Prix starts who was struggling with a tricky car alongside one of the greatest drivers in history, with a rookie who had just 11 races under his belt. Madness!

Tsunoda vs. Lawson – The Battle for Promotion

Lawson was considered to have a stronger mental approach, especially as Tsunoda’s early-career radio outbursts came back to haunt him.

Horner and Helmut Marko deemed Tsunoda too inconsistent and not ready for promotion, despite his performances suggesting otherwise.

Now, just two races into the 2024 season, Red Bull has reversed course and promoted Tsunoda.

His 89 starts in Formula 1 give Red Bull much-needed experience as they work to develop the flawed RB21.

But even with this decision, Tsunoda still isn’t the right choice for the second Red Bull seat.

Sainz Should Be in the Red Bull

After losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz became one of the hottest free agents in Formula 1.

Both Mercedes and Red Bull had vacancies for 2025, making him a prime candidate for a top drive.

Mercedes was always likely to favor its junior driver, Kimi Antonelli, but Red Bull’s failure to pursue Sainz is a massive missed opportunity.

Although Sainz is currently struggling to adapt at Williams, he remains a top-tier talent. He may not be on Verstappen or Hamilton’s level over a full season, but on his day, he can beat them outright.

Crucially, Sainz wouldn’t be intimidated by Verstappen. Unlike previous Red Bull teammates who have crumbled under pressure, Sainz would go about his business without letting Verstappen’s dominance affect him.

Sure, he would aim to beat his teammate, but he wouldn’t resort to desperate setup changes like Pierre Gasly did during his ill-fated stint at Red Bull.

With 208 race starts and four wins to his name, Sainz has the experience to develop a winning car—something neither Tsunoda nor Lawson can offer.

Moreover, he already has firsthand experience as Verstappen’s teammate.

A Rivalry Reignited?

Back in 2015, when Sainz and Verstappen were Toro Rosso rookies, tensions were high—not just between the drivers, but also between their fathers.

Their fractured relationship was one of the reasons behind Red Bull’s decision to swap Kvyat for Verstappen in 2016.

That season, Sainz actually outqualified Verstappen, though reliability issues allowed Verstappen to pull away in the races.

Despite their history, Sainz carries no baggage and would be the ideal teammate to push Verstappen while also improving the car’s development.

Perhaps Red Bull still holds a grudge over how Sainz forced his way out in 2017 to join Renault, or maybe Verstappen himself vetoed the move.

Regardless, Red Bull has made its decision but they could soon regret it.

What if Tsunoda struggles in the senior team and proves no better than Perez or Lawson? Then what? Who would they turn to in that scenario?

The driver they should have picked will be comfortably settled at Williams.

Max Verstappen displayed surprising pace in the closing stages of the Chinese Grand Prix, yet he fell behind the top five in the final laps.

The big question remains where did this sudden speed come from?

Pirelli’s tyres were a hot topic leading up to the race, given the newly resurfaced Shanghai International Circuit.

The sprint race indicated that graining would be a key issue, which proved to be completely accurate during the main event.

Oscar Piastri started on pole, followed by George Russell, Lando Norris, and Verstappen. However, the Dutch driver knew his chances of victory were slim.

His expectations were confirmed in the early laps as he quickly dropped from fourth to sixth, falling several seconds behind the top five.

At that stage, it seemed he was destined to finish sixth, especially after switching to hard tyres and struggling for pace.

Despite his slow middle stint, Verstappen’s pace suddenly improved in the final laps, surpassing Ferrari’s performance.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton had opted for a two-stop strategy, which Pirelli deemed ideal.

Verstappen moved into fifth after Hamilton’s pit stop and then executed a brilliant overtake on Charles Leclerc at Turn 3 to claim fourth place.

Interestingly, a one-stop strategy turned out to be the best choice, as his performance improved significantly when his fuel load lightened.

After the race, Red Bull revealed that they had been overly cautious in the first stint, focusing too much on tyre management. If Verstappen had been allowed to push earlier, he might have challenged Russell for third place.

View the lap times and race pace of the top drivers below. The text continues after that.

The Chinese Grand Prix highlighted a major issue for Red Bull: they still don’t fully understand the RB21.

Verstappen’s late-race speed was unexpected, given that he had been consistently slower than the McLarens earlier in the race.

While this newfound pace provides hope, Red Bull is still searching for answers. The team has called an emergency meeting to analyze the situation and strategize on how to close the gap to McLaren.

Despite fears that McLaren would dominate, the team wasn’t as overwhelming as anticipated. While Piastri and Norris secured a one-two finish, their pace management suggested they had more performance in reserve.

Verstappen lost nearly three-tenths per lap to Piastri, a smaller gap than expected, while Russell trailed by two-tenths in his Mercedes.

McLaren remains the strongest team, but upcoming upgrades from rival teams could shift the balance of power.

Red Bull has serious work to do, as the RB21’s inconsistencies persist on both street and traditional circuits. The team is struggling to decipher the car’s behavior, a problem further emphasized by Liam Lawson’s difficulties.

Lawson finished 12th in Shanghai but was classified 15th after starting from the pit lane. His struggles highlight Red Bull’s need to unlock the car’s potential quickly.

With just under two weeks until the Japanese Grand Prix, the clock is ticking for Red Bull to solve these issues and remain in the title fight.

Formula 1’s big boss, Stefano Domenicali, sat down with Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday to chew over the idea of a Thai Grand Prix.

With the sport riding a wave of global hype, the ex-Ferrari chief fresh off a contract extension to 2029 wants to tap into new markets, and Thailand’s raising its hand.

The F1 calendar’s packed with 24 races, most locked in for years, but cracks are forming. Domenicali hinted last weekend that Thailand’s in the mix to snag a spot as slots free up down the road.

Post-meeting, Shinawatra didn’t waste time. She announced Thailand’s kicking off a feasibility study to weigh the ups and downs think costs and track options.

“It’s not just about the honour of hosting the race, but also a significant opportunity to develop urban infrastructure, welcome tourists from around the world to Thailand and develop industry and service sectors,” she posted on X.

Thailand’s Racing Dreams

Thailand’s no stranger to motorsport the Buriram track in the northeast kicked off the MotoGP season this month. But F1? That’s uncharted territory for the kingdom.

Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said Shinawatra assured Domenicali that Thailand’s ready to team up with F1 brass to figure out the logistics.

Last April, Domenicali chatted with then-PM Srettha Thavisin, who pitched a street race weaving through Bangkok’s bustling, historic heart a “soft power” play to boost Thailand’s global vibe.

They’re not alone in the race, though. France and Germany want back in, and Turkey—last on the calendar in 2021 is itching for a comeback.

The Asia-Pacific’s already got Australia, China, Japan, and Singapore, plus Thai driver Alex Albon tearing it up for Williams with a fifth-place finish in Melbourne.

For now, it’s early days. But with studies underway and talks rolling, Thailand’s Grand Prix dreams are picking up speed.