Max Verstappen has confirmed his anger with Red Bull’s hasty driver swap in damning fashion.

Reports emerged that the reigning four-time champion was upset after his bosses swapped teammate Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda just two races into the new season.

2Verstappen justified his anger with Red BullCredit: AFP

With the news dominating headlines after the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen liked an Instagram post from countryman Giedo van der Garde who criticised the move.

The Dutch former Formula 1 driver turned pundit said he felt the move ‘comes closer to bullying’ and said it would ‘crush Lawson’s spirit’.

Speaking ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen didn’t go for the accidental like excuse, instead confirming that he was in full agreement.

“I liked the text, so that says enough, right? It wasn’t a mistake. That sometimes happens when you click on something,” he told the media.

“My reaction is known within the team. That was not only about the change but also about other things. We already discussed that during the last race weekend and in the factory.

“Everything has been shared with the team, how I think about everything. Sometimes it’s not necessary to always share everything in public. I think it’s better.

“I have discussed everything with the team so the team knows how I think about everything and I think that’s enough to be honest.

“I’ve discussed everything with the team, I’ve spoken to Liam and that’s all I can say about it.”

There have been rumblings of discontent from Verstappen since the start of last year when team principal and CEO Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate conduct by a female employee – an allegation he denies and was cleared of by an internal investigation.

The 2024 season also saw Red Bull’s far superior pace evaporate, and that trend has continued into the new year, going from the third fastest car in F1 to arguably the fourth.

2Red Bull’s gradual climb down from record-breaking wins looks set to continueCredit: Getty

However, in the past it was the 27-year-old’s father Jos who publicly took on Red Bull’s management.

Speaking in March during the Horner scandal, the former Benetton driver said: “There is tension here while he remains in position.

“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

The issue eventually settled down, with Verstappen able to close out his fourth title, although Red Bull surrendered the constructors’ championship, with teammate Sergio Perez eighth in the standings.

Given Lawson’s start and the fact that Red Bull already passed over Tsunoda during the winter, that trend could well continue, with Verstappen left fighting all alone for wins against the double-pronged attack of McLaren and Ferrari who both have two race-winning drivers.