Christian Horner has opened up on his reservations about Liam Lawson's short-lived Red Bull tenure in 2025, claiming the New Zealander "really shouldn't have been promoted in the first place."
The inexperienced Lawson was surprisingly picked to replace Sergio Pérez as Max Verstappen's new teammate in December 2024, but former team boss Horner says in his new autobiography, Drive, that he was uneasy with the decision and that it was Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko who pushed for the promotion.
Lawson was dropped after only two races, before Red Bull swiftly turned to Yuki Tsunoda.
"Liam was another racer from the junior programme and Helmut had championed the promotion, but I felt uncomfortable," Horner wrote.
"He was young and inexperienced, with only eleven Formula One races to his name, and we would be asking a huge amount from him."
Horner also accused Marko of playing political games over the decision, claiming the Austrian had told Lawson he was responsible for securing the drive.
"Meanwhile, Helmut was playing games," Horner wrote. "Before the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, he had informed Liam that he would be driving for Red Bull because of his influence.
"When I challenged Helmut on this, he typically denied everything."
Lawson was promoted following Pérez's difficult 2024 campaign, which saw Red Bull finish third in the constructors' championship despite Verstappen winning his fourth consecutive drivers' title.
The New Zealander had impressed during two spells with the team's junior outfit but struggled immediately after stepping up to Red Bull.
He qualified 18th for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix before crashing out of the race, and then qualified last for both the sprint and the race in China.
"Liam only lasted two races," Horner wrote. "He struggled in pre-season testing and was clearly uncomfortable with the RB21's difficult handling characteristics.
"His confidence was smashed and, as with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, his arrival at Red Bull had come too soon.
"Sensing that the pressure on Liam was unfair, we replaced him."
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Horner said Honda, Red Bull's engine partner at the time, welcomed the decision to promote Japanese driver Tsunoda.
"The move back [to Racing] Bulls was tough for Liam," Horner wrote. "But he really shouldn't have been promoted in the first place."
Lawson returned to Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda remained alongside Verstappen for the rest of the 2025 season.
Horner was subsequently dismissed as Red Bull team principal and CEO in July 2025.
Lawson said earlier this year that Red Bull created a false narrative around the reasons behind his early exit from the team. The 24-year-old said he wasn't "mentally struggling" and that Red Bull had actually pushed him towards a "wild" setup change to find performance, which ultimately hampered his pace. He added that he now pretends in his mind he "never even went there."
Drive, Christian Horner's autobiography, will be released on Oct. 22.