Verstappen criticizes Red Bull: Degradation was no mistake!

Verstappen criticizes Red Bull: Degradation was no mistake!

Suzuka, Japan - In the Formula 1 circus, the degradation of Liam Lawson causes excitement by Red Bull Racing. The current world champion Max Verstappen has already publicly expressed his displeasure with the decision. After only two races in the 2025 season, Lawson, who did not show the expected performance in the RB21, was returned to the Racing Bulls, while Yuki Tsunoda was appointed as the new teammate of Verstappen. According to Laola1 can be seen as a clear step for the objectives of Red Bull to keep in the driver and constructor championship.

The decision to replace Lawson after only two races was done as part of a meeting on Monday and was made public on Thursday. Christian Horner, team leader of Red Bull, stated that Lawson fought with difficulties in the first two races of the season, which ultimately led to the degradation. Lawson did not complete the qualifying in Australia and China with points scored after he did not finish finish in Australia and took the 12th place in China. His average distance from Verstappen was 0.880 seconds, which illustrates the distinction between the two drivers.

Criticism of Red Bull and Verstappen's reaction

The decision to replace Lawson with tsunoda met with critical voices, especially from the former F1 pilot Giedo van der Guard. He described the measure as a "short circuit campaign" and compared it to "bullying". A corresponding critical contribution van der Gardes like on social media and explained: "I liked the post, that says enough, isn't it?" This suggests that even Verstappen does not agree to everything that happens in his team.

Verstappen said in the Suzuka paddock that he did not want to give a detailed opinion about the change, since he and the team had already discussed the topic internally.

A look at the past of the driver change at Red Bull

The present case of Liam Lawson is not the first quick driver change at Red Bull. The history of the team shows that drivers have been switching several times for performance reasons. There were numerous examples of changing drivers, such as 2019, when Pierre Gasly was replaced by Alexander Albon after twelve races, or in 2023, where Nyck de Vries was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo after only ten races.

Another example is the change from Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen, which is one of the most surprising exchanges at the time. Verstappen was able to show immediately that he had the potential to win races and became the latest Grand Prix winner a little later.

With this story in the background, the question arises whether Red Bull follows a similar path with Lawson or whether this exchange should be considered ruthless. In any case, the performance of Tsunoda will be observed critically, since it has to meet the high expectation that is accompanied by this quick promotion.

With significantly improved results and a solid performance, Tsunoda could prove to be a reliable partner for Verstappen, while Lawson continues to be waiting for his next chance in the shadow of the racetrack. The developments at Red Bull are traced, not only because of the sporting ambitions, but also because of the reactions within the team. In the past, Red Bull has proven that the decisions of team boss Horner are not made without strategy and often have far -reaching effects on the career of the drivers involved.