It's somewhat explainable how Red Bull ended up here. You don't necessarily have to agree that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have made all the right decisions regarding their team's driver line-up over the past year and a half, but you can still find some logic in how they came to the point where they had to replace Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson.
It's fairly easy to say now that it was a mistake to bring back Daniel Ricciardo and give him an audition with the junior team, keeping Lawson on the bench. And it turned out to be just that - an obvious mistake - but imagine what a story it could have been had it all worked out! It was perhaps even a slightly sentimental move on Horner's part, as it's no secret how much of a fan he is of the Australian. But who wouldn't have loved the story? One of the most popular characters in the paddock returns to the family after a few troubled years with Renault and McLaren. You can see how it might have seemed almost irresistible - or at least worth a try.
