Liam Lawson was chosen by Red Bull Racing to replace Isack Hadjar at the Formula 1 Dutch GP this weekend, while Arvid Lindblad was left out of the competition for the spot. Racing Bulls’ boss, Alan Permane, explained why the New Zealander’s experience weighed in the decision.
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Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during the August break and could not participate in the Zandvoort round. Faced with the need to find a substitute, Red Bull opted for Lawson, who was already part of their structure and is ahead of Lindblad this season.
Permane confirmed that Lindblad was considered as an alternative: “The most pragmatic thing is to choose Liam. Liam is a Red Bull driver, and he is simply ahead of Arvid this year,” the manager told Sky F1.
Lawson’s experience was also pointed out as an important factor for the decision: “Choosing the more experienced driver is the right thing for them. It is quite normal for a team to turn to one of their drivers, even if he is competing for another team,” added Permane.
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With Lawson promoted to Red Bull this weekend, Yuki Tsunoda took his place at Racing Bulls. Permane acknowledged he had little influence over the decision but assessed that the choice was appropriate and stated that Lindblad understood the situation.
“What Red Bull did, we discussed, I wouldn’t say I had a big influence on it, and I’m not sure Liam had a big influence on it either. It is definitely the right thing to do, honestly, and Arvid is fine with it. He completely understands and I think he is happy where he is,” concluded the Racing Bulls boss.
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