Lawson certified 18th on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and crashed out of the race. In China final weekend, he certified final for each the dash and the grand prix, and completed 14th and twelfth.
World champion Verstappen was second in Melbourne and fourth in Shanghai. The subsequent race is the Japanese Grand Prix, from 4-6 April.
Lawson, 23, admitted he discovered his demotion “powerful” however stated he’s excited to work together with his former crew Racing Bulls.
“Being a Pink Bull Racing driver has been my dream since I used to be a child, it is what I’ve labored in direction of my entire life,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I am grateful for every part that is introduced me thus far. To each one among you who’s stood by me, thanks for all of the assist. It means the world.”
Marko stated that Tsunoda, 24, can be given “to the tip of the season” at Pink Bull to show himself “as a result of we consider he can do the job”.
Requested why the Japanese was the correct driver now, once they had determined on the finish of final season that Lawson was a greater wager, Marko stated: “Tsunoda made an enormous step. It is unusual after 4 years, now in his fifth yr, he’s a a lot stronger character, he has extra confidence and he did two excellent races, it is simply his technique did not work at Racing Bulls.
“On this case, a really troublesome automobile expertise is one thing that can assist. That was our ideas.”
Marko stated that Pink Bull determined to not give Lawson one other probability on the Japanese Grand Prix, which is the primary race this season to be held on a circuit Lawson has skilled earlier than, as a result of “we had been anxious that his self-confidence is so broken that he could not deliver his regular efficiency”.
He added: “And however we have now two drivers for the constructors’ championship but in addition to assist Max strategy-wise, in case you have two drivers prime 5 or eight it’s simpler to max a technique that favours the number-one driver.”
Marko insisted that the swap with Tsunoda was “not a demotion” for Lawson.
“He is not kicked out of F1 and Racing Bulls will give him the prospect to get better and his profession will begin once more,” Marko stated.
He pointed to the expertise of drivers Pink Bull had beforehand dropped as proof that Lawson may rebuild his profession.
Marko stated: “For the profit for him, he goes again to Racing Bulls, which has a automobile succesful to be prime 10 in qualifying and the race.
“Simply look up to now, it was [Pierre] Gasly, it occurred the identical, additionally to [Alex] Albon and so they recovered and they’re now aggressive F1 drivers.
“On prime of it, the RB21 is a automobile which isn’t the quickest automobile however nonetheless very troublesome to drive and Max can deal with however not at this stage Liam.”
