As he opens up on Liam Lawson's demotion, Max Verstappen insists that Red Bull's issue is its car not its drivers.

Though he wanted more time to tame the best, the New Zealander wasn't allowed, and now there are fears that his successor will also struggle.

Verstappen wasn't happy with the decision to drop Lawson, and speaking today he was unable to offer much comfort to his latest teammate as he warned that it is the car that is the problem.

"Sometimes it's not necessary to always share everything in public," he said when asked about Lawson. "I think our main issue is that our car is not where we want it to be," he added.

"Everyone knows that within the team as well and that's what I focus on, to be honest. Because as soon as the car is more competitive and more drivable in general, then I think even in the second car it will come to you anyway a bit more naturally."

Asked about the RB21 compared to its predecessor, he admitted: "It is a little bit more nervous, a little bit more unstable in different corner phases. I think it's a combination of a lot of things. It depends also on the corner speed, the tarmac, tyres, overheating, bumps, kerbs.

"Some tracks are more limiting than others. Some issues are easier to solve than others. Everyone is trying their hardest to make the car faster."

Asked specifically about Lawson, and the fact that he 'liked' a tweet by former F1 driver, Giedo van der Garde in which he criticised the team, Verstappen said: " I liked the text, so I guess that speaks for itself, right?

"It was not a mistake," he added. "My reaction was shared with the team, but in general, not only the swap, but about everything. We discussed that already during the last race weekend and back at the factory."

Elsewhere, Lando Norris was laying into the press for claiming that McLaren has both championship all but sewn up.

"Every track is a bit different, but at the moment, they are quite comfortably ahead," said Verstappen. "Never say never. We come to every race trying to get the best out of the car but at the moment, I don't think, even if we optimise our performance, that is enough. But we keep working.

"We're trying to have the performance coming this year still, but if it's going to be enough to beat McLaren it's very difficult to say, because the others are also improving," he admitted.