Lawson will have one additional race to 'establish his rhythm.'

      Red Bull will give it one more race before becoming too concerned about Liam Lawson. Following a disastrous debut weekend as Max Verstappen’s teammate in Melbourne, Lawson, a 23-year-old from New Zealand, ranked last in sprint qualifying as the action resumed in China. Red Bull chose Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda primarily due to his mental toughness, which led McLaren CEO Zak Brown to criticize the "strange" decision this week.

      "I don’t pay much attention to that," Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko told Servus TV in Shanghai. "These are typical antics." He also mentioned to Osterreich newspaper: "Yuki struggled with consistency last year. Unfortunately, nothing has clicked for Lawson yet. However, it was overlooked that he was one of the quickest in the dry conditions in Melbourne. So, let’s not dismiss him just yet. Let's wait for the first three races, which are all on very different circuits, for a clearer picture," Marko added.

      After observing Lawson qualify last for the sprint and the upcoming race, Marko commented on Servus TV: "Australia was his first race, and he doesn’t know the track here in China either, which makes things tougher. He was doing well in his first run but couldn’t get the tires up to temperature in the second. We thought he had found his rhythm, but it seems to be challenging. The car, as he noted, is harder to drive than the Racing Bulls car, but he needs to gradually find his rhythm."

      Marko is also keeping an eye on Tsunoda. "Yuki has progressed from last year to this year, both personally and as a driver. He has also switched his management and is currently performing quite well."

      Christian Horner is backing Lawson for the time being. "I think Liam has a sound mindset," he stated. "It’s been a tough initiation for him. I’ve advised him to disregard the critics, ignore social media, focus on his work, and he’ll be fine. He just needs a bit of time. But Red Bull is a challenging environment," Horner noted. "Max has been with the team for nearly ten years. We have a commitment to supporting young talent, which is why we’re giving Liam this opportunity."

      Lawson is recognized as a straightforward, confident driver, but is his self-assurance beginning to waver? "Mental fitness is crucial in this sport," he admitted to Bild newspaper. "When you’re on track and experience self-doubt, it impacts your driving. I know I need the right mindset to perform at my best." When asked if his resilience was the reason he was chosen over Tsunoda, Lawson replied, "I hope they opted for me because they have faith in me."

      Lawson managed to recover from last place to finish 14th in the Shanghai sprint. "Thank goodness he finished," said Marko.