IN NUMBERS: How Max Verstappen’s team mates fared against him with Yuki Tsunoda the latest to step up
IN NUMBERS: How Max Verstappen’s team mates fared against him with Yuki Tsunoda the latest to step up
2024 (24 races as team mates):
Qualifying head-to-head: Perez 1 – 23 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Perez 1 – 23 Verstappen
Points scored: Perez – 152 (66.7% of races finished in points), eighth in championship / Verstappen – 437 (95.8% of races finished in points), first in championship
Pole positions: Perez 0 (0%) / Verstappen 8 (33.3%)
Podiums: Perez 4 (16.7%) / Verstappen 14 (58.3%)
Wins: Perez 0 (0%) / Verstappen 9 (37.5%)
A 1-2 result at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix initially suggested that Red Bull’s 2023 advantage over the rest of the field would repeat in 2024 – but it proved to be a different picture as the campaign developed, with the team’s rivals dramatically closing the gap.
While Verstappen held on to take his fourth title, it was a nightmare season for Perez, who failed to finish on the podium again after Round 5 in China. Red Bull subsequently slipped from first to third in the Teams’ Championship, and an agreement was reached between Perez and the team after the season had concluded to part ways with immediate effect.
Liam Lawson – Red Bull
2025 (two races as team mates):
Qualifying head-to-head: Lawson 0 – 2 Verstappen / Race head-to-head: Lawson 0 – 2 Verstappen
Points scored: Lawson – 0 (0% of races finished in points), 17th in championship (still ongoing) / Verstappen – 36 (100% of races finished in points), second in championship (still ongoing)
Pole positions: Lawson 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)
Podiums: Lawson 0 (0%) / Verstappen 1 (50%)
Wins: Lawson 0 (0%) / Verstappen 0 (0%)
Following the exit of Perez, Red Bull opted to promote Liam Lawson to the squad for the 2025 season. But his tenure as Verstappen’s team mate proved to be the shortest of all, with the New Zealander struggling to get comfortable with the RB21.
After qualifying at the back of the field for both of the season’s opening races – while Verstappen took P3 and P4 respectively – Lawson crashed out during a rain-affected debut for the team in Melbourne before ending the Chinese Grand Prix well outside of the points.
Red Bull subsequently made the decision to switch Lawson with Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda from Round 3 onwards – meaning that the driver from Japan will be the next one to pit himself against Verstappen as the Dutchman seeks to defend his title…
This article was originally published on 12 January 2025 after Lawson was promoted to Red Bull