Although Tsunoda made progress in his power curve in both qualifying and the race, proving he could provide good feedback and control his fiery radio chatter, it wasn’t enough.

Red Bull believe Lawson may have a higher ceiling than Tsunoda based on what they’ve seen from him in two super sub stints. Red Bull boss Christian Horner admitted to ESPN that the choice between the two was “very, very close”, but Lawson fought back.

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Making the jump to mid-season is never easy, and Lawson has done it not once, but twice – and done well on both occasions, even though he was outscored across the board in terms of stats by Tsunoda in his second stint.

Red Bull loves his mental strength and his vivacity in the heat of battle. Lawson was very optimistic about competing in 2024 – including at least twice with Perez, the driver he replaces.

This mental strength will serve him well in the fight against the best driver of this generation, Verstappen. Lawson’s great confidence and belief in his abilities will also help. But there is no doubt he faces a mammoth task.