Liam Lawson need not despair if Red Bull Racing releases him, according to Max Verstappen.
The four-time world champion, visibly frustrated with his 2025 car, made the observation amid his own title chase for a fifth consecutive drivers' crown.
While Verstappen remains competitive, his new teammate Lawson has languished at the rear in Shanghai, mirroring his lacklustre Red Bull debut in Australia.
With Red Bull contemplating replacing Lawson with Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, Verstappen cautioned that Hadjar might face a harsh reality.
"That Racing Bulls car is easier to drive than ours," Verstappen told Dutch journalists in Shanghai. "I notice that when I talk to Liam. Last year the difference between him and Yuki (Tsunoda) wasn't that big, I thought. Otherwise the team wouldn't have made the choice to put Liam in at Red Bull."
Persistent rumours suggest Verstappen could activate a performance clause in his contract later this year, potentially moving to Mercedes or Aston Martin for the 2026 era.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport aligns with Verstappen's view on Lawson's difficulties.
"Red Bull must recognise that there's no ideal driver to pair with Verstappen," correspondent Michael Schmidt reported from China. "Not in the current configuration.
"The Dutchman is too good and the car is too bad."
Verstappen, 27, has grown increasingly outspoken about Red Bull's issues. "As a driver I always look at myself first and I am always critical," he said.
"I always try to maximise and help the team to improve the car. It is clear that we are not where we want to be."
Team adviser Dr Helmut Marko struck a more positive note after Saturday's qualifying: "The gap to McLaren is clearly less than we thought. It's now about a tenth, if you combine the ideal sector times.
"So everything is still open."
Asked if he could win on Sunday, Verstappen replied: "Only if everyone ahead of me retires.
"No, really. We're not fast enough at the moment. I think my lap was good, but it was very tricky because the car balance wasn't consistent and changed practically from corner to corner.
"I can attack in the corners, but sometimes the car's feedback doesn't match my input. And that makes it difficult to take every corner perfectly. In the race, the tyres degrade more than the others, and that's obviously far from ideal.
"As far as my driving is concerned, I feel very good, especially compared to previous years. But if you don't have the basic pace, you can't do much."
Verstappen suggested Lawson's potential exit from Red Bull might not be a setback. "If you look at the difference between the two drivers at the other teams, they are all closer together," the 27-year-old said.
"That shows how difficult our car is to drive. And the gap to the front is bigger than last year too. It is clear that we are not in a good position. Am I worried? Yes, that's allowed, right?
"I honestly think Liam would go faster if he's in the Racing Bulls car. I really think so," Verstappen said.
His remarks coincide with Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff's presence at the Chinese GP.
Verstappen offered praise for the junior team. "They are doing very well," he said. "They are very close to me.
"Maybe that says something."
