Max Verstappen speaks out about Red Bull 'bullying' claims

Max Verstappen has clarified his position on Liam Lawson's axe after he liked a social media post claiming that Red Bull's treatment of the young driver was akin to 'bullying'.

Former racing driver Giedo van der Garde criticised the Formula 1 team on Instagram, where he expressed that Lawson's axe was "closer to bullying", a post that Verstappen was caught liking on his official account.

When asked at Suzuka about liking the post he said: “I liked the comment, the text, so I guess that speaks for itself, right? It was not a mistake.”

“My reaction was shared with the team but in general, about not only the swap, but about everything. We discussed that already during last weekend and back at the factory.

“Everything has been shared with the team, how I think about everything. Sometimes it's not necessary to always share everything in public. I think it's better.”

Should Lawson have been axed from Red Bull?

Verstappen will have a new team-mate from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards, with Yuki Tsunoda stepping up to Red Bull for his home race as Lawson returns to Racing Bulls.

However, after Lawson’s difficulties with the RB21 in Australia and China, the second seat may also prove to be an issue for Tsunoda who enters the team after an impressive run of form with Racing Bulls.

Lawson failed to acquire a single point in his only two races with Red Bull, and team principal Christian Horner has revealed it is crucial the second driver is close to Verstappen to aid his championship fight.

Following his exit, Lawson described the RB21 as ‘difficult to drive’ and claimed that the lack of time in the car from pre-season testing in Bahrain made it tougher for him to adjust.

Whether a more experienced Tsunoda can perform to Red Bull's standards is another matter entirely, and his debut race with have the additional pressure of being overseen by his home crowd.

READ MORE: F1 2025: Japanese Grand Prix start times, schedule and how to watch live on TV

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