F1
Max Verstappen’s camp ‘blocked Carlos Sainz to Red Bull’ as F1 insiders share details
Max Verstappen’s inner circle reportedly did not want Carlos Sainz to return to Red Bull before they hired Liam Lawson. The Dutchman has grown unhappy about the instability within the team after Lawson was brutally axed by Helmut Marko, head of their driver programme, after just two races of the Formula One season. The New Zealand racer, 22, will be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda for the Japanese Grand Prix in a week’s time, with Lawson demoted to the Racing Bulls team alongside Isack Hadjar. Verstappen was keen for Lawson to stay and even ‘liked’ a post that accused Red Bull of treating their young driver poorly.
According to the Daily Mail, Verstappen is ‘less than happy’ with Lawson’s exit from the parent team and thinks the treatment of the Kiwi was ‘too harsh’. The report cites a source close to the team who described the ‘chaos’ that has unfolded within the team. However, the four-time world champion may have had a part to play in the driver changes before Lawson was brought in. The report adds that Verstappen not only harboured doubts about Tsunoda joining as his team-mate, he was also concerned about reuniting with Carlos Sainz at Red Bull.
