Verstappen unhappy with the treatment of Lawson

Red Bull's dismissal of Liam Lawson after only two races was a ruthless decision, brutal even by their standards.

- Giles Richards

replace Sergio Pérez, who repeatedly underperformed for Red Bull. The team finished third behind McLaren and Ferrari last season, despite Verstappen winning the drivers' title. Red Bull had been optimistic Lawson would offer greater support to

ed Bull's dismissal of Liam Lawson after only two races was a ruthless decision, brutal even by their standards. Yet while it was neither unexpected nor particularly surprising, there is more to it than simple dissatisfaction with an underperforming driver. Replacing him with Yuki Tsunoda was a U-turn that indicates fundamental problems the team are facing, ones to which they are unlikely to find a quick fix, and that Max Verstappen is unhappy at their performance and prospects for the new season.

Lawson, who had looked shellshocked by the close of the second race in China last weekend, was left entreating the team to give him a little more time. Red Bull were not forthcoming. Yesterday they announced he would be replaced by Tsunoda from their sister team, Racing Bulls, the Japanese having originally been passed over in Lawson's favour at the end of last season.

The New Zealander was less experienced but expected to be better able to come up to speed and to come closer to matching Verstappen, but it really did not go to plan. He endured the worst sequence of qualifying in the team's history, 18th in Australia, 19th for the sprint in China and 20th for the GP. He crashed out in the Melbourne race and went pointless in both races at Shanghai.

Far from being close to Verstappen he was not even that close to the midfield, flailing with a car he could barely manage and with no obvious indication that he was going to come to terms with it, although two races is a very short time for anyone with Verstappen but he failed to score points in Australia and China.