Verstappen on driver swap: 'Poor Checo, poor this or poor that, I don't care'

"I don't think you need to have a look at anyone to be honest. What has been done has been done. I think it's more important that we take a good look at ourselves and just keep on working and keep on improving the car," said Verstappen to media present at Suzuka.

"I don't care what anyone else thinks. 'Poor Checo or poor this poor that'. At the end of the day we got ourselves into this situation so just need to work on it," concluded Verstappen.

Lawson was replaced by Tsunoda due to his inability to cope with the RB21, giving the Japanese driver the shot he had been asking for, for so long. Now temmate of Max Verstappen, Tsunoda has been able to close up to the Dutchman, and proved to be a step up from the New Zealander in his first day driving for the Austrian team.