Former Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner has confirmed that it was not his choice to swap Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
It was confirmed at the end of 2024 that Sergio Perez, who had been with the Milton Keynes outfit since 2021, would be replaced by New Zealander Lawson for the 2025 season. Taking the position next to four-time champion Max Verstappen, Lawson competed in just two race weekends before he was demoted to Racing Bulls, with Tsunoda taking his place ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
The decision came as a shock, as Lawson only had two grands prix and one sprint race at tracks he had not raced at before to prove himself in the seat. Horner, talking in the upcoming eighth season of Netflix's Drive to Survive, claimed that the decision did not come from him.
"It wasn't my choice. I was always pushed to take drivers from the Young Driver Programme. Helmut was a big driver in it," the Briton said.
After 20 years as Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal, Horner was also replaced in his role by former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies. "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," he reflected.
Following his exit, there have been countless rumours linking Horner to a return to the championship, although nothing has been confirmed at this stage. "I never imagined to be in this position," he added. "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."
