Franz Tost led the team now competing as Racing Bulls for almost two decades following Red Bull's purchase and knows both Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson very well as a result

Liam Lawson has had an encouraging start to his latest Formula 1 stint with Racing Bulls at the Japanese Grand Prix

Former Racing Bulls team principal Franz Tost has delivered a scathing verdict on Red Bull’s latest controversial F1 driver swap. Red Bull’s brutal decision to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda just two races into the new season sent shockwaves through the F1 paddock and was the dominant story heading into the Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s decision to switch out Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda had the whole of Formula 1 talking in the build-up to the Japanese Grand Prix – here Motorsport.com picks out the best reactions to the n

In a second practice session that was dogged by no fewer than four red flags, New Zealand’s Liam Lawson can at the very least take pride in clocking a faster lap time than his senior Red Bull teammates at Suzuka.

“Confidence-wise, it doesn’t change a lot. We all have enough self belief to be here, to make it to Formula One and to be in the sport,” Lawson replied. “If you don’t have that self belief, it makes it very, very difficult. So I think we all have that naturally. It doesn’t really change how I feel about myself.”

Max Verstappen's Red Bull future continues to be a talking point with Mercedes touted as a future destination - which could spell bad news for their rookie driver

Liam Lawson enjoyed a solid if not unspectacular start to Formula One’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, clocking the 13th fastest time in the weekend’s opening practice session. A week on from officially being demoted by Red Bull,

Although Christian Horner says it was "horrible" demoting Liam Lawson to Racing Bulls, Red Bull had to be "cruel to be kind" in light of the New Zealander's