As Speedcafe reports, Karun Chandhok has labeled a potential exit for Liam Lawson from his current seat as "one of the most unjust sackings in F1." The former HRT and Lotus driver delivered the assessment during FP1 of the Mexico City Grand Prix, just as Nikola Tsolov made his official practice debut behind the wheel of the New Zealander’s car.
Lawson has put together a genuinely strong campaign this season. He has scored points in 13 of his 18 starts, leaving him ninth in the drivers’ standings on 77 points while helping lift Racing Bulls to fifth in the constructors’ championship. Chandhok pointed out that the driver had returned to the fold carrying the mental baggage of a previous firing from the Red Bull top team, only to step back into the car for three races and deliver really well.
That success has shifted how the team operates, according to the pundit. While acknowledging the junior squad's historical role as a university to prepare drivers for the senior operation, Chandhok argued that it has evolved into a strong midfield team with its own identity, sponsors, and competitive reasons to exist, rather than just acting as a training ground for the big team.
Fellow Sky Sports F1 voice David Croft echoed those sentiments, questioning why anyone would jettison a proven talent like Lawson, who at the age of 24 is seemingly no longer deemed a prospect or young enough for the program. Croft highlighted the prospect of the team finishing fifth in the constructors' standings for the first time, arguing that such a step forward makes retaining proven drivers increasingly important.
Jamie Chadwick also weighed in on the wider debate, drawing a parallel to Mercedes taking a calculated risk in promoting Kimi Antonelli following Lewis Hamilton's departure. However, the pundit and former W Series champion questioned the necessity of making an imminent call on Tsolov—currently second in the Formula 2 standings—when the team could potentially keep Lawson while monitoring options and placing Tsolov in Super Formula as a reserve driver.
Even so, Chadwick noted that the decision-makers have access to all the internal performance data. If they believe they have uncovered the next Max Verstappen, she conceded, that forces their hand. Chandhok, meanwhile, remained skeptical that any internal numbers could truly justify dropping Lawson.
As for the practice session itself, Tsolov brought the car home in 12th place. He ended the outing 1.476 seconds behind session leader Charles Leclerc, sitting just a tenth behind Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad, who finished 10th.
F1
F1
F1
