F1 News: Three rookies under major pressure at Chinese GP

(GMM) Three F1 rookies have arrived in Shanghai for the Chinese GP with an awful lot of pressure on their shoulders.

Max Verstappen’s new teammate, Liam Lawson, had a horror weekend in Australia amid both lagging pace and a crash on Sunday, and he qualified dead last for the Sprint race in China.

It prompted McLaren CEO Zak Brown to declare that he thinks Red Bull made a mistake by not putting Yuki Tsunoda in the car instead. “I don’t care what Zak says, to be honest,” the New Zealander said in Shanghai.

“I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to him.”

The latest teammate being destroyed by Max Verstappen – Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks dejected at the F1 Chinese GP at Shanghai International Circuit on March 20, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Former Haas boss Gunther Steiner, however, said he thinks Lawson was “the most disappointing of all the rookies” in Melbourne.

“If things continue like this, I don’t rule out that he will be replaced, especially since Yuki Tsunoda has long dreamed of becoming Max’s teammate.”

It’s all music to Tsunoda’s ears.

“It’s good when people speak highly of me, but I just have to keep doing what I’m doing,” said the Japanese.

Arguably with even more pressure on him than Lawson, meanwhile, is the Alpine rookie Jack Doohan, with rumors still swirling that he could be replaced by Franco Colapinto within mere races.

Jack Doohan of Australia driving the (7) Alpine F1 A525 Renault on track during practice ahead of the F1 Chinese GP at Shanghai International Circuit on March 21, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images for Pirelli)

Team boss Oliver Oakes, however, played down his Melbourne crash. “He wasn’t the only rookie that had that happen to him,” he said. “And it’s not like he did anything crazy.

“Up until that point, he’d had a really good weekend. And he’s had to go through a lot in the last few weeks.” Doohan out qualified teammate Pierre Gasly for the Chinese GP Sprint race.

Oakes also said the current Doohan-Pierre Gasly pairing is working well. “The way they worked together with the engineers is something we haven’t seen here for a while,” he said – a clear dig at Esteban Ocon.

Finally, Isack Hadjar not only didn’t make it to the end of the formation lap in Melbourne, he was then slammed by his boss Dr Helmut Marko for his “embarrassing” display of tears.

“I mean, I found it embarrassing myself,” the 20-year-old French-Algerian driver admitted.

“And, you know, I had Helmut on the phone a day later, and it’s all good. I know how he works,” the Racing Bulls rookie added. “I also think he said it in German and it was reinterpreted differently.”

Hadjar beat Doohan and Lawson in qualifying for the Chinese GP Sprint Race.