Max Verstappen hinted his disapproval by liking a social media post criticising Red Bull’s decision to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda after just two races
Red Bull have conceded that Max Verstappen is not happy with their decision to replace Liam Lawson. After just the first two rounds of the new Formula 1 season, the team has demoted the struggling Kiwi back to junior team Racing Bulls after he failed to score a single point.
Replacing him will by Yuki Tsunoda who is more experienced and Red Bull hope he will be able to help them make their RB21 car more driveable with his feedback. Verstappen gets along well with the Japanese racer, but it seems that is not enough to offset his anger about Lawson’s situation.
The Dutchman hinted his disapproval with his social media activity in the hours after the official announcement. While he has not yet commented publicly himself, Verstappen liked an Instagram post which criticised Red Bull and accused them of “bullying” tactics.
And now Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s young driver chief who played a major role in the decision to swap drivers ahead of next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, has admitted that their star driver is not happy with the move.
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Explaining why they have made it anyway despite the risk of angering Verstappen, he told De Telegraaf: “We know Max is not happy. But we need two cars at the front. Not only for the constructors’ championship, but also to help Max to his fifth world title. Then you can achieve more strategically in races.
“We can use Yuki’s experience and form now. That counts. At the end of the day, that is to the advantage of the team. And that also means to the advantage of Max.”
He went on to say, however, that the change is not likely to have much of an immediate impact on the team’s results. Marko added: “It’s impossible to turn around a difficult car like the RB21 very quickly.
“But yesterday, Max had a very positive meeting with the engineers. We still have confidence. But realistically, the next three races will still be very difficult for us.”
On Tsunoda, the Austrian suggested he and team principal Christian Horner have been impressed with the 24-year-old’s start to the new season. He said of the Japanese: “It’s funny to see that we’re experiencing a completely different Yuki this year. He hasn’t made any mistakes in the first few weeks.
“He’s fast, he’s under new management and he’s full of confidence. We think that with his experience he can help to make the car better. Yuki has had his ups and downs, but he’s matured. He’s worked hard in the winter and he’s become physically stronger.”
