When Max Verstappen furrows his brow, people notice. And in the wake of Red Bull’s decision to cut Liam Lawson loose after just two races, the world champion is anything but pleased.
In Formula 1, patience is as rare as rain in the Sahara, but even by those standards, the firing seems brutal, and Verstappen hasn’t hidden his displeasure.
Lawson got his chance and lost it again faster than most people could blink. No points and a couple of qualifying sessions at the back of the pack proved fatal.
However, according to Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, that isn’t the whole story.
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The young New Zealander was hit by technical problems already during testing in Bahrain and also lost valuable time in practice in Australia:
“The pressure on him kept growing. He lost confidence, started trying harder and harder, but ended up making more mistakes as a result,” Marko told De Telegraaf.
And so things went from bad to worse.
Max Verstappen is not known for holding back, and this time his criticism is aimed not at his rivals but at his own team.
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According to Marko, Verstappen has made it clear:
“We know Max is not happy.”
And it’s understandable. Having an experienced and stable second driver isn’t just a luxury – it’s a strategic weapon when you’re fighting for world championships.
Experience Over Talent
Yuki Tsunoda will replace Lawson, and according to Marko, it’s not about who’s more exciting but who can deliver in the here and now:
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“We can really use Yuki’s experience and form at the moment. That’s what counts,” says the Austrian advisor.
Lawson, however, isn’t being completely abandoned.
He’ll remain part of the Red Bull family and will get a seat at Racing Bulls. But Verstappen’s frustration is clear – and when the fastest man on the grid is angry, the shockwaves can quickly be felt all the way to the pit wall.
Source: Sportfokus
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