Parker Kligerman Reacts to Red Bull’s Swift F1 Driver Swap and IndyCar’s Ratings Struggles
NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman has weighed in on Red Bull Racing’s rapid driver switch, calling it one of the most sudden and dramatic changes in motorsports. His remarks followed the team’s decision to demote Liam Lawson and promote Yuki Tsunoda after just two races in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Red Bull had initially replaced Sergio Perez with Lawson, expecting the young driver to outperform the struggling veteran. However, Lawson failed to deliver, continuing the trend of Red Bull’s second drivers struggling to match four-time champion Max Verstappen. He qualified last in both Chinese Grand Prix sessions in Shanghai, leading to a swift reversal by Red Bull, which reinstated Tsunoda in time for his home race in Japan.
Kligerman commented on the situation via X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that when funding isn’t a concern, top teams can make performance-driven decisions at any time. “One of the wildest and fastest driver changes and change of direction I’ve ever seen in motorsports… Potentially when finances (funding) aren’t the issue this is what happens in motorsports?” he wrote.
Red Bull is known for its history of mid-season driver changes, with every teammate since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure in 2018 struggling to match Verstappen. Since 2019, the team has dropped Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, and now Lawson, who now holds the record for the shortest stint at Red Bull with just two races.
Initially, Red Bull’s management believed Lawson, who had 11 prior F1 starts, had more potential than Tsunoda. However, after two races, they changed course, demoting Lawson to Red Bull’s junior team, VCARB (Racing Bulls), and giving Tsunoda a chance to race for the senior team at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix from April 4-6.
Kligerman on IndyCar’s Struggles Against NASCAR
Kligerman also commented on IndyCar’s declining TV ratings, particularly its scheduling clash with NASCAR. Last weekend, both series aired races at the same time, which proved costly for IndyCar. Despite NASCAR’s Homestead race being on FS1 and IndyCar’s Thermal Club GP airing on FOX, the stock car race dominated in viewership.
NASCAR drew 2.464 million viewers, while IndyCar only managed 704,000—a sharp 50% drop from its season opener. The IndyCar race also faced a broadcast interruption and ranked behind NASCAR’s Xfinity Series (1.16 million viewers) and Truck Series (906,000 viewers). Even Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, which aired after midnight, had higher viewership at 824,000.
Kligerman criticized the scheduling conflict, arguing that motorsports as a whole would benefit if NASCAR and IndyCar did not air simultaneously. “Being on at the same time as NASCAR should be a crime. I tried watching both, but it’s damn hard to have two races on at once and enjoy both. IndyCar succeeding is better for all motorsports, but we all need to work together,” he posted on X.
IndyCar’s next race is scheduled for April 13 in Long Beach, coinciding with NASCAR’s Bristol Motor Speedway event.
