Max Verstappen subtly indicated his view of Red Bull’s extraordinary decision to drop his team mate after just two grands prix when the team announced the decision a week ago.
He endorsed a social media post by fellow Dutch racer Giedo van der Garde which described the decision as being like “bullying or a panic move.”One week later, Verstappen was unwilling to give any further indication of his views on the matter, keeping his counsel when pressed over whether Red Bull made the right call to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda so early in the season.
“I’ve discussed everything with the team, so the team knows how I think about everything,” he told the official F1 channel. “And I think that’s enough, to be honest.”
The world champion said it was “not necessary” to give his thoughts on the wisdom of Red Bull’s decisions first to promote Lawson after just 11 starts, then cut him loose after two appearances for them on tracks he hadn’t previously competed at.
“Honestly, some bits we discussed, they don’t always need to be told in public as well,” he said, “because anything that you add people start speculating about that as well and I don’t like to read about it.”
Verstappen will know how these words are likely to be interpreted: namely, that he wouldn’t keep schtum if he had anything positive to say about the situation. That ‘like’ on van der Garde’s social media post did the talking for him.
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However his new team mate said he found it hard to accept the team’s original decision to promote Lawson instead of him. “For me at least, it was brutal enough last year at the end of the season when they chose Liam over me,” said Tsunoda.
“It is what it is. I’m sure Liam also understands how quickly things can change within our structure. That’s one of the reasons we succeed, but also one of the reasons why we tend to get a little more attention with those situations.”
Tsunoda also revealed that Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko, who plays an active role in hiring and firing drivers from the top team, has not spoken to him in the week since his promotion was announced.
“Surprisingly, he didn’t call me yet,” said Tsunoda. “It’s very unusual. I’m not sure – maybe he was busy with other things.
“I can’t wait to see him and see how he’s going to react to me. It’s very unusual. [In] F3, F2, F1, he’s always been calling me but this is the only time he didn’t.
“I’m sure there’s not any [problem] from his side. Even in the last few races, we’ve still had a good relationship. We didn’t have any moments between us.”
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But Red Bull’s slump in form remains Verstappen’s focus. While he has been able to extract results from the car, and heads into the third round of the season just eight points off the championship lead, his past two team mates struggled with the peculiarities of their car’s handling.
Although he suspects Red Bull’s car may be trickier to drive than others, Verstappen said it’s difficult for him to judge given his experience.
“I’ve been part of the team now for a long time, so for me, it’s always a bit more difficult to judge because I haven’t really driven any other car,” he said. “So naturally, I don’t know how much more difficult or how much easier another car is, I just drive to the limit of what I have with the car. And that’s that really.
“That it’s not the easiest [to drive], probably, yeah. I think we always discuss things we can do better on the car and that’s what we are working on currently as well.”
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Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
3rd April 2025, 11:46
To a certain extent he can do or say what he likes. He has Red Bull where he wants them. He would very, very difficult to replace were he decide that he has had enough and wants to go or do something else. He knows that and they know that. I have never been a fan of Max but he has handled this pretty well.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
3rd April 2025, 11:48
The Red Bull hierarchy should be getting into full panic mode about now I reckon.
For the last few seasons they have focused entirely on what Max wanted, and needed, to do the job.
They have created a car that seems to suit only one man – and now that man is thinking of leaving!
If Yuki pulls off a miracle this weekend, then they should breathe a sigh of relief.
If not …. then who they gonna call?
Ferdi
3rd April 2025, 12:45
I guess it is not such big of a deal since 2026 will bring in new regulations anyway.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
3rd April 2025, 12:56
The fact that they have lost both Newey and Honda might make it a bigger deal?
Ferdi
4th April 2025, 10:15
Newey is less relevant as we are going into an engine power regulatory period again. Honda is more of an issue but that was going to happen anyway
Ldom (@ldom)
3rd April 2025, 13:05
I was going to say ghostbusters but I doubt any of them has a superlicense.
baasbas
3rd April 2025, 14:50
@nullapax
I think I disagree on that. Verstappen himself has said in interviews that the car needs to be more drivable. That the car is currently difficult is not because he asked for it to be so.. And he is also basically confirming he doesn’t like the current (driver)management shenanigans. He’s also been vocal about how he wanted the key people of the team to stick together, still people left. He’s been vocal about wanting to return to calmness during the Horner **-show.
I do agree RBR should be at full alert. But the Lawson knee-jerk proves I think that they already are in panic mode. Fumbling the driver situation, new regs and losing Newey, new regs and losing Honda.. If it stays like this they do risk losing Verstappen
Billy
3rd April 2025, 11:49
I’m astounded that Marko hasn’t yet spoken to Tsunoda since the hiring. Seriously, what the hell is going on at Red Bull? The whole team is rotten to the core. I’d steer well clear
Le Jimster (@lejimster82)
3rd April 2025, 13:08
He probably wanted to jump straight to Hadjar. 😂
Who knows…
I’m also a little confused over Max. Because he said to reporters maybe it would be better for Liam to switch back to Racing Bulls as its easier to drive before this all kicked off and now it has happened he seems unhappy.
Maybe it was just a throwaway comment from Max and he didn’t mean it at the time. It’s certainly made this weekend and season more interesting.
Patrick (@paeschli)
3rd April 2025, 15:07
Given Marko’s comments on Perez last year, I can’t help but feel he’d rather have a ‘white’ driver in the Red Bull but circumstances pushed them into having to give the seat to Tsunoda.
asz
3rd April 2025, 16:26
What is Marko’s role, anyway? Isn’t he supposed to be heading a driver development program; his responsibilities ending with the “procurement” of new talent for the F1 team?
Then he should have nothing to do with how the team operates across a season, and even less to do with questions of maximising race strategy or personally handling the drivers of the main team.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
3rd April 2025, 18:17
I think he is paid to be the vile old Grandparent who sits in the corner, spiting and cursing.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
4th April 2025, 9:37
He was given a blank cheque with little actual oversight into what he did or how he behaved by Dietrich Mateschitz.
It does seem like he’s fundamentally unremarkable and operates largely on gut feel, but he’s managed to tie his presence at the team up with the Verstappen’s, so he’s safe from the new Red Bull owners until the latter leave. I suspect if and when Max tires of the behind the scenes mediocrity that’s creeping in and leaves, he [Marko] will announce his retirement.