F1: Tsunoda hopes to succeed where his predecessors failed

Never before has any Japanese driver raced in a car that won the drivers' world championship the previous year

- Sandip Sikdar

NEW DELHI: "It can't get crazier than this situation," Yuki Tsunoda tells F1.com, reflecting on the current scenario.

On February 18, Liam Lawson was unveiled as Red Bull's second driver beside four-time world champion Max Verstappen at London's O2 Arena amid much fanfare. With only 11 races under his belt, the New Zealander was chosen above Tsunoda, who has been slogging it out in the sister team (now known as Racing Bulls) for four straight seasons.

The 23-year-old Lawson definitely showed potential in his 11 Grands Prix, finishing in the points thrice despite not having a quick enough car under him which led the Red Bull management to believe that he can be a perfect fit beside Verstappen.

But just two races into the season, Lawson was dropped after two uninspiring drives in Australia and China where he failed to earn any points.

Formula 1 is a tough sport for a driver to survive. Red Bull is even tougher. Over the years, we have seen several drivers being promoted and demoted ever since eight-time race winner Daniel Ricciardo left the Milton Keynes based outfit at the end of 2018.