Karun Chandhok has offered full-throated support for Liam Lawson keeping his seat at Racing Bulls next season, arguing it would be "one of the most unjust sackings in F1" if he is dropped for Nikola Tsolov.
Lawson had put together a remarkable campaign for the Faenza-based team, and also performed admirably for three rounds at Red Bull when Isack Hadjar was injured.
However, the New Zealander's future in F1 is far from certain, and he is yet to be offered a new contract for next year, with Tsolov fighting to make it to the grid.
The 19-year-old, who is currently second in the F2 drivers' standings, is highly touted and is considered the 'next driver up' in Red Bull's junior programme.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has admitted the joint, energy drinks-backed team faces a difficult choice, as it grapples with the good problem of having three strong drivers for just two race seats, with Arvid Lindblad widely expected to stay put after an impressive rookie season.
However, Chandhok does not quite see the situation in the same light, with the former F1 driver insistent that Lawson should retain his drive.
"If Liam Lawson gets sacked from this seat, it would be one of the most unjust sackings in F1 because he's done a fantastic job this season," he said on Sky Sports F1 during FP1 in Mexico.
"He's come back carrying the mental baggage of being sacked from the Red Bull top team, went back into the Red Bull seat for three races and did a good job there, and he's delivered really, really well."
Racing Bulls' intrinsic struggle
Chandhok tapped into the inherent conflict within the Racing Bulls team: is it merely there to develop drivers for Red Bull, or does it have its own aims and objectives?
He also suggested there will be a paucity of evidence to suggest that Tsolov will be a better choice than Lawson next season.
He said: As much as I get it, the team is there to prepare drivers for the top team; they are a strong team, they've got their own identity, sponsors and reasons to be competitive, not just to train drivers up to go to the big team...
"I just don't see how they can have any data that suggests that Tsolov is a better option than Liam Lawson. But we'll see."
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