Max Verstappen Disagreed with Red Bull's Swift Demotion of Liam Lawson
Max Verstappen says he disagreed with Red Bull's decision to demote Liam Lawson after only two races in 2025, calling it too early. He highlights the team's persistent struggle to find a competitive second driver, a weakness that has repeatedly cost them the constructors' championship despite his own success.
Max Verstappen has revealed he disagreed with Red Bull's decision to demote Liam Lawson after just two races in the 2025 season, calling the move premature and damaging to a driver's career at a top team. The world champion's comments highlight the ongoing struggle at Red Bull to find a stable and competitive second driver, a weakness that has cost them in the constructors' championship.
Why it matters:
Verstappen's public dissent is a rare glimpse into internal team dynamics and underscores a critical, persistent flaw in Red Bull's championship formula. Their inability to field a consistent points-scoring driver alongside their star has repeatedly undermined their constructors' title ambitions, even in years where Verstappen won the drivers' crown. This ongoing issue contrasts sharply with the successful, balanced approach of rivals like McLaren.
The details:
- Lawson was promoted to Red Bull after only 11 races with sister team Racing Bulls but struggled immediately, crashing out in Melbourne and qualifying last in Shanghai.
- Red Bull reacted by swiftly replacing him with Yuki Tsunoda after just two grands prix, a decision Verstappen explicitly disagreed with at the time.
- The Dutchman argued that two races is "far too early" to make such a definitive judgment, effectively ruining a driver's chance at the top team.
- Tsunoda's subsequent performance did little to solve the problem, scoring only 30 points across the season and finishing 17th in the standings.
The big picture:
This episode is part of a long-running trend for Red Bull. Since Daniel Ricciardo's departure in 2018, a carousel of drivers—including Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Lawson, and Tsunoda—has failed to match Verstappen's performance. This "second driver" problem directly contributed to losing the constructors' title in 2021 and 2024 and slipping to third in 2025. Verstappen himself advocates for a clear number one and number two driver hierarchy but stresses the number two must still score enough points to fight for the constructors' championship.
What's next:
Attention now turns to 2026 and the arrival of new regulations, which Verstappen believes is the right time for a fresh start. Isack Hadjar, following a strong rookie season that included a podium, is slated to become his new teammate. The reset provided by new technical rules offers Red Bull another opportunity to finally establish a stable and effective driver pairing that can challenge on both championship fronts.