Max Verstappen and dad Jos clash as Red Bull ponder sacking decision

Jos Verstappen has thrown his support behind Liam Lawson as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez at Red Bull next year, despite Max Verstappen making it clear he is not keen on changing team-mates.

The 27-year-old racing prodigy is on the cusp of securing his fourth consecutive F1 championship following his triumph at the Brazilian Grand Prix last weekend. That victory marked his first in 11 races but, while it nudged him closer to the drivers title, it did little to impact the outcome of the constructors’ championship.

While Verstappen produced some of his best racing, team-mate Perez put in another lacklustre performance. The Mexican racer finished down in 11th in Sao Paulo, which was a step up from his 17th place in Mexico City but not enough to challenge McLaren or Ferrari in their title pursuits.

After signing a one-year extension with Red Bull in June, Perez’s recent string of underwhelming results have piled pressure on the team to cut ties with him ahead of 2025. And, speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen’s father has made it clear that is what he would like to see happen.

The Dutch former F1 racer emphasised the need for his son to have a “competitive” team-mate who “pushes” him, and hinted that he would welcome rising star Lawson stepping up from sister team RB and into Perez’s shoes next season.

The 52-year-old said: “I think Lawson is doing very well. It seems logical to me that he is ready to step up. Let him finish this season and build confidence and then the team has to decide what they do for next year,” reports the Express.