Helmut Marko has branded Liam Lawson's promotion to Red Bull as "a mistake" in a scathing verdict following the New Zealand driver's return to Racing Bulls.
Lawson was axed by Red Bull after just two grands prix, and has been replaced by former Racing Bulls team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson did not score any points in his two grands prix and single sprint, nor did he make it out of Q1. He qualified last, on merit, for both the sprint and grand prix in Shanghai, another track on which he had never driven an F1 car following Melbourne's Albert Park.
Despite this, and having played up his mental fortitude as a key reason why he was handed the seat ahead of Tsunoda, Marko has now sharply addressed Lawson's time at the team alongside Max Verstappen.
"Yuki was too inconsistent, and that is why we unanimously chose Lawson, but under the increased pressure, he couldn't deliver from day one," Marko told OE24.
"He entered a downward spiral, it is like a stricken boxer and on top of that, it is hard to get out of it. In that sense, it was a mistake.
"In Australia, Liam had a turbo problem in the third free practice.
"The mileage he lost there, he came up short, and what he has delivered so far is obviously not enough, we need a strong second driver, if only for [in-race] tactics."
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