Max Verstappen confirmed he was unhappy with Red Bull’s ruthless driver swap for the Japanese Grand Prix, saying his endorsement of a social media post criticising the move “speaks for itself”. 

The four-time world champion has a new teammate at Suzuka after Yuki Tsunoda replaced the underperforming Liam Lawson two weeks into the Formula One season. 

Red Bull have been criticised for not giving Lawson enough time, with former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde saying on social media that the move was “bullying, or a panic move”. 

Verstappen put a “like” on Van der Garde’s post and told reporters that it was “not a mistake”. 

“I liked the comment, the text, so I guess it speaks for itself, right?” Verstappen said at the Suzuka Circuit, 

“Everything has been shared with the team, how I think about everything. 

“Sometimes it’s not necessary to always share and say everything in public. I think it’s better.” 

Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen walk and talk in the Paddock prior to the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China in Shanghai. Photo / Red Bull 

Lawson had been promoted from Red Bull’s sister team RB at the end of last season and now returns, with Tsunoda going the other way. 

Lawson’s two races for Red Bull, in Melbourne and Shanghai, were at tracks on which he had never raced before. 

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“I think for rookies, always at the beginning of the season, you have the calendar nowadays, and F1 is very tough,” said Verstappen. 

“Because most of the tracks, they haven’t really driven on, or they maybe have a sprint weekend. 

“So all these scenarios, they don’t help.” 

Verstappen is second in the drivers’ championship, eight points behind Lando Norris of McLaren, after finishing second in Australia and fourth in China. 

McLaren won both GPs and clearly have a performance edge over a Red Bull regarded as tricky to drive, but Verstappen has won the Japanese Grand Prix for the past three years. 

“I think our main issue is that our car is not where we want it to be,” Verstappen said. 

“I think everyone knows that within the team as well, and that’s what I focus on, to be honest.”