Jacques Villeneuve has hit out at Liam Lawson, labelling the axed Red Bull driver as “arrogant” following his axe from Red Bull.
Red Bull confirmed on Thursday that Lawson will be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda with immediate effect.
Tsunoda will make his debut for the Red Bull team at his home race in Japan next weekend, while Lawson will return to Racing Bulls after just two painful races with the senior outfit.
Lawson had just 11 grands prix under his belt prior to his Red Bull promotion, replacing Daniel Ricciardo through injury in 2023 before being called up again in the latter stages of the 2024 campaign.
Speaking to NZCasino, 1997 F1 champion Villeneuve took issue with the way Lawson presented himself during his early F1 career.
“You have to bear in mind that he [Lawson] came into F1 very arrogant,” Villeneuve stated.
“He came into F1 last year saying how amazing he would be and he had an attitude. When the results don’t come, it makes everybody react even stronger.
“It’s actually the worst result ever in a Red Bull car. So, he’s paying his own price there. He set himself up in a way.”
Lawson ‘paid the price’ for Red Bull risk
Lawson’s poor qualifying performances in the opening two rounds of the year saw him start both races from the pit lane.
He crashed out in Australia after attempting to hang onto the car in wet conditions while running dry tyres, and he lacked competitive pace in China to progress forward.
Villeneuve hinted at surprise over the speed of Red Bull’s decision but outlined Lawson only as himself to blame.
“These two races didn’t do much good for him in the paddock,” he said.
“It’s very simple and that’s the risk. When you start with Red Bull you have to be on it right away.
“And that’s the price to pay for being put in the best team. Do you want to take that risk? Good. But then the opposite side is you’ll pay a dear price if it doesn’t work out.
“That’s just the way it is. And that’s okay. That’s how it should be.
“I thought they might give him another three races when they come back to Europe so they could then make a considered decision.”
