Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Verstappen Reportedly Unhappy with Red Bull’s Lawson Decision
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has reportedly voiced his discontent with Red Bull Racing’s handling of driver Liam Lawson. Sources indicate Verstappen is dissatisfied with the team’s choice to replace Lawson, who was initially slated to substitute for Sergio Perez for the 2025 season, after just two Grand Prix events.
Swift Driver Change Sparks Controversy
Lawson, aged 23, participated in races in Australia and China but did not secure any championship points. He is now set to return to Racing Bulls, exchanging positions with Yuki Tsunoda. Red Bull has faced considerable criticism regarding its management of this driver swap, with accusations of unfairly treating Lawson and not providing him with adequate opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities.
Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde publicly expressed his disapproval of the situation on social media.
“Bullying” Accusations and Verstappen’s Support
In an Instagram post, Van der Garde commented, “This feels more like bullying or a panicked reaction than a reflection of genuine high-performance athlete management. They made a deliberate decision, fully aware, to give Liam only two races, effectively damaging his confidence.”
Notably, Verstappen ‘liked’ this online post. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has acknowledged that Verstappen’s objections extend beyond social media, revealing internal discussions between the driver and the team regarding the matter.
Marko Acknowledges Verstappen’s Concerns
“That assessment is accurate; he did express his disagreement with the Lawson decision,” Marko admitted in an interview with Motorsport.com. “However, we explained to Max that to achieve championship success, we must optimize our strategy to have both cars consistently finishing within the top ten.”
Team Justifies Decision as Protective Measure
Marko further clarified that the decision to replace Lawson was, in part, intended to shield him from excessive pressure and potential harm to his racing career. The current RB21 cars are reportedly struggling to match the pace of leading teams like McLaren and have proven challenging for both Verstappen and Lawson to master.
Car Performance a Factor in Driver Swap
“Max contended that the car’s demanding handling characteristics were impacting Lawson’s performance negatively, suggesting that with a more refined vehicle, Lawson would demonstrate improved results,” Marko added. “We are, of course, focused on further development, but predicting the timeline for these improvements remains uncertain.”
Lawson’s Promotion Deemed Premature
Marko conceded that Lawson’s promotion to a race seat might have occurred prematurely. He elaborated, “This was a contributing factor to Verstappen’s feeling that the driver change involving Lawson was premature, especially considering the car’s considerable difficulty to drive, even for experienced drivers.”