Red Bull will be terrified by what Ralf Schumacher is hearing out of Max Verstappen’s camp amid potential Liam Lawson axe

Red Bull Racing have gone from dominating Formula 1 to an extent never seen before in the sport’s history to dropping two drivers in the space of three races in under 18 months.

Sergio Perez was shown the door by Red Bull after last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi after a disappointing campaign.

Liam Lawson stepped up to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull this season, but that decision appears to have spectacularly backfired for Christian Horner.

Lawson’s performances in Australia and China have fallen below a level Red Bull are willing to accept despite his lack of experience.

Incredibly, Lawson is expected to swap seats with Yuki Tsunoda in time for his home race in Japan but that doesn’t tell the full extent of the issues facing Red Bull.

Verstappen has been critical of the RB21, so much so that he suggested in Shanghai that Lawson would be faster if he were driving for Racing Bulls because of its larger operating window.

The loss of key figures such as Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall appears to be having an impact on the team, and Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, appears to be casting his net out to see what the rest of the paddock has to offer.

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Ralf Schumacher believes Max Verstappen’s camp is assessing potential Red Bull exit

Former F1 driver turned pundit Ralf Schumacher was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast about Verstappen’s situation.

Schumacher has previously suggested destinations for Verstappen elsewhere on the grid, and talking about his future, he said: “You hear in the background that Jos [Verstappen] is already foaming at the mouth.

“And since Max and Jos are one, you can assume that the dye has already been cast in the background, let’s say, and I’m really excited now.

“Toto Wolff was very passive, we have to say that and now we have to see what Antonelli does now.

“I mean, when someone is calm, then you can see very clearly that something is going on in the background.

“Only for him [Wolff], the topic is what he is doing because he has two drivers, two who are close to his heart.

“George Russell, who is currently fighting for his future, that’s clear, you can really see that, and also Antonelli, whom he thinks highly of, which means that he has a luxury problem right now.”

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Ralf Schumacher assesses George Russell’s start to the 2025 F1 season amid Max Verstappen interest

Mercedes have been linked with Verstappen for some time, but as Schumacher suggests, hiring the four-time world champion leaves Toto Wolff with a conundrum.

George Russell has recorded back-to-back podiums for Mercedes already this season but as he’s out of contract at the end of the year, he’s somewhere under pressure.

Schumacher went on to explain why Verstappen’s arrival would be bad news for Russell, “Of course, it helps a bit when the teammate is there, but also doesn’t put too much pressure on him.

“I think George Russell is also the type of guy who likes to be the unchallenged number one.

“He needs that support that he has at the moment, and that is, of course, good for him because we know that under pressure, you can [make] one or two mistakes.

“For Antonelli, it is also exciting, he has driven two solid races so far, I have to say. He did well but still his performance was a bit lacking.”

If Verstappen does push for a move away from Red Bull, then the impact it would have on the driver market would be seismic.

So far, he’s not publicly suggested that a move is on his mind, but his father wouldn’t hesitate to find him a seat elsewhere on the grid if he decided that was the best next step for his career.