There’s only really one big Formula 1 story in town right now. We’re only two rounds into the new season and already we’re about to get our first driver change of the year as Red Bull dot the Is and cross the Ts on all the important paperwork.
Poor Liam Lawson has only driven in two Grands Prix and one sprint for Red Bull Racing and, already, his bosses have decided enough is enough. They are expected to announce by the end of the week that he has been demoted back to junior squad Racing Bulls.
If the rumour mill is to be believed then they may have to contend with another potential exit that could be on the cards with Max Verstappen also said to be considering his future. Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel has been saying what he really thinks about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari title dream.
And a stat has emerged which could hint at who will win the McLaren title duel between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Mirror Sport has compiled all the headlines.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know the writing is on the wall for Liam Lawson. He’s had a woeful start to his Red Bull Racing career and already it’s been decided to send him back to sister squad Racing Bulls and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda.
Red Bull won’t confirm it yet because there are a few minor details to iron out, including with Honda who have supported Tsunoda’s career up to this point. But now it seems to be a mere formality that he will be Max Verstappen’s team-mate at the Japanese Grand Prix on the first weekend of April.
Speaking of Verstappen, his own future has been the subject of speculation for some time now too. The Dutch are always keen on any story about the four-time F1 champion and former Red Bull racer Robert Doornbos thinks Verstappen might have already “secretly said goodbye” amid his team’s drop in competitiveness.
He said on Dutch TV: “Given this whole situation, Max Verstappen is a little too relaxed. I think Max has already secretly said goodbye to the team.” Verstappen has a contract until 2028 but Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has already admitted there are performance clauses which could allow him to leave sooner if triggered.
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Moving on from Red Bull now, Sebastian Vettel failed to win the title over six seasons with Ferrari. But he really wants his old rival Lewis Hamilton to succeed where he couldn’t – even though he points the finger at the seven-time F1 champion as to why he couldn’t get the job done during his own Ferrari career.
The four-time title-winner told the BBC: “For me, it didn’t quite work because Lewis was there so let’s see now how he will get on. But, yeah, my fingers [are] crossed… It’s great to see he’s still on the grid and still has that influence and he uses it in a positive manner. So naturally my fingers are crossed for him to win the championship.”
A first win of the season in Shanghai will have been very happily received by Oscar Piastri who showed he can push team-mate Lando Norris all the way this year. And history appears to be on his side on that front – or does it?
A stat has emerged showing six of the last seven winners of the Chinese Grand Prix have gone on to secure the title that year, a run stretching back to 2014. The sole exception? When Daniel Ricciardo won the 2018 Shanghai race, but Lewis Hamilton was champion. Piastri will hope that lightning doesn’t strike twice for Australia.
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