Parc Ferme: You’re fired!

After only two races as Max Verstappen’s teammate, Liam Lawson was rudely returned to the Red Bull Racing B team; the Racing Bulls.

Now there’s speculation that he might find himself demoted further. Meanwhile, Alpine incumbent Mick Doohan, has been replaced, for five races, with Franco Colapinto.

The Argentinian had quite an impact last year at Williams, literally, mixing speed and results with accidents and damage in equal measures.

However, with the signing of Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season, there was no room at the Grove Inn. Meanwhile, Doohan was signing his cast-iron, or so he thought, number two seat contract at Alpine.

Unfortunately, for Franco, it appeared the F1 music had already stopped, and all chairs were occupied.

However, while the ink was still wet on Doohan’s contract, Alpine announced Franco Colapinto as a “reserve” driver.

Considering the Argentinian comes with a bag load of cash, it was surprising that Flav had not sniffed this out earlier.

Even for a casual F1 observer, the maths was simple, Colapinto had garnered point-scoring results, whereas Mick… The young Aussie’s journey to F1 was hardly memorable, but much the same could be said of Colapinto.

Unfortunately, for Doohan, his F1 exit may prove to be more noteworthy than his ascent.

Lawson also has the look of someone ready for an unceremonious exit, especially when compared to his new stablemate, Isack Hadjar.

A surprise performer from last year’s class of F2, Hadjar managed to recuperate from a cruel and inauspicious start to deliver some strong performances. Comparing their characters, Lawson has the surly Verstappen confidence, minus the talent.

In contrast, the young French Algerian is like an enthusiastic Jack Russell keen to bring you a bone. Of the two, only Hadjar has the apparent makings of a popular and effective driver.

Lawson’s demotion was harsh but necessary, and a difficult position to bounce back from.

We could also argue that the cut of last year’s F2 vice-champion jib is more to the liking of the Good Doctor than his Kiwi teammate.

An important point when there is another driver in the shadows, and there is: Arvid Lindblad.

The seventeen-year-old British Swedish driver was earmarked last year by Helmut Marko for fast-tracking as Red Bull’s talent gap became increasingly evident. Lindblad is rumored to be the new Max and is already the youngest ever F2 race winner. To boot, he’s done it in his first season and at, of all circuits, Jeddah.

As rumours build regarding Red Bull Powertrains’ underperforming PU development, a Mexit appears increasingly likely and, despite the stage management, Yuki Tsunoda is proving no more useful than Lawson in the RB21.

This means Lindblad's F1 “blooding” is becoming increasingly urgent for the premier team.

This game of rookie musical chairs may well bring fewer rather than more Constructor Championship points for the team involved. It may also prove to be an expensive one.

F1 is competitive enough at the moment. The added pressure of competition for short-term seats is only likely to result in more damage and costs.

Still, it’s good news for Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, no need to manufacture drama for the next season, this approach is writing its own script!