Max Verstappen's father Jos offers Liam Lawson verdict after Red Bull controversy

Max Verstappen's father and former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen has sent a supportive message to Liam Lawson following his Red Bull axe.

After struggling at the opening two rounds of the season, Red Bull have demoted Lawson back to their junior team, Racing Bulls, after promoting him in place of Sergio Perez in December.

Lawson will return to his former team from the very next race in Japan, with Yuki Tsunoda going in the opposite direction.

Now, in a ‘welcome back’ post dedicated to Lawson on Racing Bulls’ Instagram, Verstappen Sr offered a supportive verdict on Lawson and his ability in the comments.

“I really hope you go and do a fantastic job," Verstappen Sr wrote. "He deserves to be in F1.”

Have Red Bull made the correct decision with their driver swap?

Time will only tell if Tsunoda can handle the temperamental RB21 better than his predecessors, but Verstappen Jr does not seem hopeful and even suggested the Racing Bulls car was easier to drive.

“Our car is extremely tough. I think if you put Liam in the Racing Bulls car, he will go faster. I really think so. That car is easier to drive than ours,” he said to De Telegraaf after the Chinese Grand Prix and prior to Lawson’s demotion.

Nevertheless, Verstappen remains second in the drivers’ standings after securing a P2 finish in Melbourne and fourth in Shanghai, despite Red Bull’s obvious pace deficit.

Verstappen’s new team-mate Tsunoda enters his home race following an exceptional run of form in the past year, including a strong start to the season with consecutive Q3 appearances.

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