More reaction has been flooding in after Red Bull replaced Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda – a move which has infuriated Max Verstappen who didn’t want a new team-mate
There continues to only really be one big story in Formula 1 right now with the fallout from Red Bull’s big driver swap still dominating the headlines. Liam Lawson has been sent back to junior team Racing Bulls after just two rounds of the new season.
Naturally, some big names have all weighed in, from everybody’s favourite grid walk host Martin Brundle to Max Verstappen’s dad Jos. And the team’s young driver chief Helmut Marko has also been speaking about the situation, including a key admission about Verstappen.
Elsewhere, Ferrari have confirmed an F1 debut is coming next month that will give Charles Leclerc a chance to sit on the sidelines. And it seems poor David Coulthard has been in an accident, if a claim by Amanda Holden on breakfast radio is anything to go by.
Mirror Sport rounds up today’s big stories in the Formula 1 world.
READ MORE: Liam Lawson ‘destroyed’ by Helmut Marko as F1 star lifts lid on Red Bull tormentREAD MORE: Martin Brundle issues scathing verdict on Red Bull’s Liam Lawson axe – ‘A mess’
Red Bull admit angering Verstappen
Amid all the rumours about Max Verstappen possibly considering his future at the end of this season, the last thing Red Bull need to be doing is angering their star driver. Yet, they have knowingly done so by dropping team-mate Lawson against his wishes.
Helmut Marko has conceded Verstappen isn’t too pleased with their driver swap but insists it was a necessary change. He said: “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.”
Tsunoda gets deadline to impress
Yuki Tsunoda finally has the Red Bull Racing drive he waited years for, but fans of the likeable Japanese racer will be fearing the worst given how ruthless the team can be. But, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Marko has committed to giving him a lot more time than Lawson got to impress.
The Austrian said they want to give Tsunoda until at least the end of the season to prove what he can do. So, assuming they stick to that, Verstappen will remain the fourth and final team-mate he has had in the last year, after Daniel Ricciardo, Lawson and Isack Hadjar.
Ferrari confirm Leclerc replacement
The rules have been changed this year requiring each team to double the number of practice sessions in which they hand over their cars to rookie drivers. All 10 teams must field an eligible junior at least four times over the course of the year, and Ferrari are getting on with it early.
They have confirmed Formula 2 racer Dino Beganovic will drive their car in first practice at next month’s Bahrain Grand Prix. He will take over Leclerc’s car for that session, but the Monegasque plans to be back behind the wheel for the rest of that weekend’s action.
Coulthard involved in motorcycle crash
According to radio host Amanda Holden, family friend David Coulthard has been involved in a motorcycle crash. Speaking on her Heart Radio breakfast show, the broadcaster said Coulthard has sustained a nasty injury as a result of the accident.
“He’s just broken his collarbone – but on a motorbike. Can you believe that?” she told co-host Jamie Theakston. Regarding her relationship to the Scot, she explained: “Uncle David, we call him in our house. David Coulthard, DC, godfather to our girls. God knows why we did that, he’s naughty. He’s in charge of my children’s spiritual upbringing and they’re both girls. Formula 1 driver, pundit, man.”
