Verstappen Voices Disapproval Over Red Bull’s Early Lawson Demotion
Max Verstappen has revealed that he did not support Red Bull’s decision to demote Liam Lawson just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season, arguing that the move came far too early and ultimately denied the young driver a fair opportunity to prove himself at a top team.
Lawson was promoted to Red Bull at the start of the 2025 campaign after Sergio Perez was dropped, earning the seat following a promising stint with sister outfit Racing Bulls, where he contested 11 grands prix. The New Zealander’s performances there convinced Red Bull management that he was ready to step up alongside Verstappen. However, his transition to the senior team quickly unraveled.
The 23-year-old endured a difficult debut weekend at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, where he was eliminated in Q1 before crashing out of the race. His struggles continued at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, where he qualified last for both the sprint race and the main event and failed to score points. After just two rounds, Red Bull made the call to remove Lawson from the seat and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda, his former Racing Bulls team-mate.
That decision did not sit well with Verstappen, who felt the team acted too hastily. Speaking to Viaplay, the four-time world champion admitted he openly disagreed with the move at the time.
“Two races for a team-mate — of course I didn’t agree with that,” Verstappen said. “Ultimately, someone is giving up their chance. When you do that so early, you’re basically ruining an opportunity at a top team. I actually think Liam did well at Racing Bulls.”
Verstappen acknowledged that Formula 1 is an unforgiving environment, but stressed that drivers need time to adapt, particularly when stepping into one of the most demanding seats on the grid. He suggested that even if a team feels uncertain, abandoning a driver after such a short period sends the wrong message.
“You could also say, ‘just leave it, I don’t care anymore,’” Verstappen added. “But two races is far too early to make such a big decision. In the end, Yuki came in, and that alone shows how difficult the situation really was.”
Tsunoda’s promotion, however, did little to solve Red Bull’s long-standing second-driver problem. Despite his experience and previous years within the Red Bull system, the Japanese driver struggled heavily throughout the season. Tsunoda scored just 30 points across 22 rounds and finished 17th in the drivers’ championship, a stark contrast to Verstappen, who ended the year as runner-up behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The lack of competitive support alongside Verstappen once again proved costly for Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. The team slipped to third in the standings, finishing behind McLaren and Mercedes. McLaren, in particular, reaped the rewards of having two consistently high-performing drivers, as Norris and Oscar Piastri were both competitive throughout the season and helped the team secure back-to-back constructors’ titles.
Red Bull’s difficulties with its second seat have been a recurring issue since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018. Since then, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have all struggled to match Verstappen’s exceptional level. While Verstappen has continued to deliver drivers’ championships and race wins, the imbalance within the team has repeatedly undermined Red Bull’s constructors’ ambitions.
This pattern has been evident in multiple seasons. Red Bull missed out on the constructors’ crown in both 2021 and 2024 despite Verstappen winning the drivers’ title, and the problem resurfaced again in 2025. The contrast with McLaren’s philosophy has been striking, as the Woking-based team has consistently emphasized equal treatment between its drivers, even when Norris and Piastri were fighting for the championship.
Despite that comparison, Verstappen does not believe Red Bull’s overall approach is fundamentally wrong. Instead, he feels the execution needs to improve, particularly when it comes to managing and supporting a strong second driver.
Verstappen remains loyal to the team’s philosophy but has made it clear that rapid decisions, like Lawson’s demotion, are not the solution. In his view, Red Bull must find a way to give its drivers the time and environment needed to succeed alongside him — otherwise, the cycle of short-lived partnerships and lost constructors’ titles is likely to continue.
