Max Verstappen Criticizes Red Bull’s Early Demotion of Liam Lawson, Calls Two-Race Decision “Far Too Early”

Max Verstappen has revealed he was not in favor of Red Bull’s decision to drop Liam Lawson just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season, arguing the move came far too soon.

Lawson was promoted to the senior Red Bull team this year as Sergio Perez’s replacement after just 11 grands prix with sister outfit Racing Bulls. However, the New Zealander struggled to deliver the form that earned him the call-up. His debut weekend in Melbourne ended with a Q1 exit and a race-ending crash, followed by a difficult outing in Shanghai where he qualified last for both the sprint and the main race and failed to score points.

Those results prompted Red Bull to act swiftly, replacing Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver became Verstappen’s fifth team-mate since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure in 2018.

“Two races for a team-mate, of course I didn’t agree with that at the time,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “Ultimately, someone is losing their chance and at a top team, that opportunity is incredibly important. Liam did a good job at Racing Bulls. Two races is simply too early to make a call. In the end, Yuki came in, and that just shows how difficult the situation was.”

Tsunoda’s stint alongside Verstappen proved no more successful. He scored only 30 points across 22 rounds, finishing 17th in the championship, while Verstappen ended the season runner-up behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Red Bull’s struggles with a second driver have been ongoing since Ricciardo left the team, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Perez, Lawson, and Tsunoda all unable to consistently match Verstappen’s level. Those issues have played a role in Red Bull missing out on constructors’ titles in 2021 and 2024, despite Verstappen winning the drivers’ crown, and dropping to third in the standings this season behind McLaren and Mercedes.

McLaren, by contrast, has taken a different approach, giving equal status to Norris and Oscar Piastri, even as they battled each other for the 2025 championship during the team’s back-to-back title-winning campaigns.

Verstappen still believes Red Bull’s philosophy of having a clear lead driver is the right one, but says execution is key.

“If I were team boss, I would always clearly define a number one and number two,” the four-time world champion said. “But that number two still needs to score enough points to fight for the constructors’ championship.”

Looking ahead, Verstappen is optimistic about 2026, when Isack Hadjar is expected to become his new team-mate following an impressive rookie season with Racing Bulls that included a podium at Zandvoort.

“That’s a very different situation,” Verstappen said of Hadjar’s arrival. “There’s a new car and new regulations, so I think it’s the right moment to step in.”

From F1 news to tech, history to opinions, F1 Chronicle has a free Substack. To deliver the stories you want straight to your inbox, click here.

For more F1 news and videos, follow us on Microsoft Start.

New to Formula 1? Check out our Glossary of F1 Terms, and our Beginners Guide to Formula 1 to fast-track your F1 knowledge.

Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

More articles by James Rees →