Max Verstappen 'frustrated' as Red Bull decides to sack Liam Lawson after two F1 races
Liam Lawson's first Formula One season with Red Bull is coming to an end on a disappointing note after just two races. New Zealand’s Lawson is facing the axe after a disappointing show in the 2025 season opening Australian Formula One at Melbourne and the Chinese GP in Shanghai.
The decision by Red Bull management to replace Lawson with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has not gone down well in New Zealand as well as the current F1 world champion Max Verstappen. The latter is also the Red Bull flagbearer and Lawson's teammate on the F1 Grand Prix circuit.
Verstappen is reported to be frustrated by Red Bull deciding to sack Lawson after only two races. He stated that Racing Bulls, the feeder of Red Bull where Lawson used to race before his elevation, cars are easier to drive.
“That Racing Bulls car is easier to drive than ours. I notice that when I talk to Liam. Last year the difference between him and Yuki wasn't that big, I thought. Otherwise the team wouldn't have made the choice to put Liam in at Red Bull,” said the F1 world champion.
New Zealand Minister for Sport Mark Mitchell jumped into the controversy backing Lawson. “I'm disappointed if he isn't racing in the Red Bull, but I'm really excited that if he's at least back in the Racing Bull, that he can go and show everyone what he's capable of," he told New Zealand media.
Live Events
Venting his ire on Red Bull from dropping Lawson, New Zealand motorsport analyst Bob McMurray called the decision a “ridiculous situation that they have got themselves into and I think the situation is entirely Red Bull's fault and not Liam's at this point”.
Bernadette Collins, the former Aston Martin F1 team strategy engineer, echoed similar views. She asked the Red Bull management
