NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman has spoken out against Red Bull Racing, calling them out for placing excessive and unfair pressure on reserve driver Liam Lawson. Just one race into the 2025 Formula 1 season, there have been rumors that the New Zealander could be replaced at the Milton Keynes outfit by Yuki Tsunoda.
Parker Kligerman Comes Out in Support of Liam Lawson
Kligerman expressed his frustration with Red Bull’s behavior toward Lawson, stating that the team’s expectations are unreasonable given that the young Kiwi driver has only had one race so far in Formula 1.
In reply to a social media post asking, “How soon could Red Bull switch Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda?” NASCAR driver Kligerman replied, “The guy has done 1 race for the team. 1 race. Being a Redbull driver not named Max [Verstappen], must be the ultimate test of mental fortitude in professional sports.”
The guy has done 1 race for the team. 1 race.
Being a Redbull driver not named Max, must be the ultimate test of mental fortitude in professional sports https://t.co/okEMfA7kX3
— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) March 20, 2025
After Red Bull parted ways with Mexican driver Sergio Pérez at the end of 2024, the team deliberated between giving the empty spot to Tsunoda or Lawson. The team finally decided to promote Lawson. This decision by Red Bull faced backlash from the fans as Lawson was less experienced than Tsunoda.
Explaining why the team decided to promote Lawson over Tsunoda, Christian Horner, Principal of Red Bull Racing, said, “I think the feeling within the team is that the trajectory Liam is on has more potential, which is why we’ve taken that route.”
“But that doesn’t rule Yuki out in the future – it was a very split decision and Yuki certainly impressed the team when he tested in Abu Dhabi. His feedback was good and, if required, he would be there to be drawn upon if we needed to,” Horner said.
“We have a lot of information available to us, and 11 races is a short amount of time, but if you delve closely into [Liam’s] performances in qualifying, the margins to Yuki were very tight, and on race pace, he’s come out, on average, above Yuki. There is very little to choose between them, but when you look and consider that Liam is still only 11 races and already at that level, the potential for growth is still significant.”
Kligerman’s remarks highlight a growing concern in the motorsports community about Red Bull’s approach to young talent. Fans argue that the team’s cutthroat style has put a lot of pressure on young drivers who have promising careers ahead of them.