Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has "liked" an Instagram post criticising his team, Red Bull, for its treatment of his now-former teammate Liam Lawson.
Red Bull announced last night it would be swapping the 23-year-old Kiwi with Japanese Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson will return to Racing Bulls.
The post Verstappen - and other leading drivers liked - was made by former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde.
"I’m getting a bit tired of all the comments that F1 is the toughest sport in terms of performances and when you’re underdeliver you’ve gotta face the consequences," he wrote
"Yes, you gotta perform. Yes, the pressure is insane. But in my opinion this comes closer to bullying or a panic move than actual high athlete achievements. They made a decision - fully aware - gave Liam two races only to crush his spirit.
"Don’t forget the dedication, hard work and success Liam has put in his career so far to achieve the level where he is now. I remember my own blood, sweat and tears - and that was to reach F1. Let alone driving for an absolute top team.
"Yes, he underperformed the first two races - but if anyone’s aware of that it’s himself. Perhaps he has suggested this himself, but if not I wish Liam all the strength and courage to get to the grid in Japan. Trust yourself, get your head up, prove them wrong."
Verstappen wasn't the only F1 driver to like the post. Former Red Bull driver Pierre Gasly, who suffered a similar fate to Lawson and was sacked after 12 races, also liked it.
It was also liked by Oscar Piastri, who raced alongside Lawson in the junior formulas.
'A purely sporting decision' - see more coverage of Lawson's demotion on TVNZ+
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained the move last night, saying it had been "difficult" to watch Lawson struggle with the car.
"We went into the 2025 season with two ambitions: to retain the Drivers’ Championship and to regain the Constructors’ title. This is a purely sporting decision.
“We recognise that there is still much work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove extremely useful as we develop the current car. We welcome him to the team and look forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21."
He said the team had a "duty of care" to "protect and develop" Lawson.
"We see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly to allow Liam to gain experience as he continues his Formula 1 career with Racing Bulls in an environment and with a team that he knows very well.”
It had been a rough start to full-time F1 life for Lawson, who failed to score points and struggled to keep up with Verstappen for the season's first two races in the difficult to drive RB21 car.
He crashed with 10 laps to go at the Australian Grand Prix after starting from the pit lane. He moved up to 12th, also starting from the pit, at the China Grand Prix after a stack of penalties for other drivers.
Lawson will now race for Red Bull's sister team, Racing Bulls, for the remainder of the season. He will be paired with fellow rookie Isack Hadjar.
Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls said about Lawson: “Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has.
"He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a team. With Isack having started so strongly with us already, we know we have a young and strong line-up.”
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