Christian Horner has appeared to defend Red Bull’s ruthless approach to sacking Liam Lawson, claiming ‘sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind’.

The Red Bull team principal also seemed to accept responsibility for the decision to part company with the New Zealand driver after just two races, admitting that he and his team ‘asked too much too soon’ of the 23-year-old driver.

Lawson has said he was ‘shocked’ by his sacking, which was announced last Thursday and added that he had not seen the decision coming.

Red Bull claimed that after he had appeared to struggle in the RB21 this season, crashing out in Australia and finishing out of the points in 12th in China, they had opted to replace him with Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s team-mate.

‘Sometimes you’ve got to be cruel to be kind, and I think that in this instance, this is not the end for Liam,’ Horner said to Sky Sports F1 ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

He added: ‘Of course, it’s horrible because you’re taking away someone’s dreams and aspirations.’

The Red Bull team principal had also revealed what he had told the Kiwi driver following the Chinese Grand Prix.

‘What I was very clear with him, is that it’s a sample of two races. I think that we’ve asked too much of you too soon,’ Horner said.

‘We have to accept, I think we were asking too much of him too soon. And so this is for him to, again, nurture that talent that we know that he has, back in the Racing Bulls seat, whilst giving Yuki the opportunity and looking to make use of the experience that he has.’

While a brutal decision to part company with Lawson so soon into the season, Horner had explained last Thursday that the decision to act so quickly was done through Red Bull’s ‘duty of care to protect and develop Liam.’ He added: ‘We see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly, so Liam can gain experience as he continues his career with Racing Bulls.’

The team Principal doubled down on those claims again this week ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, stating: ‘This is for him to, again, nurture that talent that we know that he has, back in the Racing Bulls seat, whilst giving Yuki the opportunity and looking to make use of the experience that he has,’ Horner said.

While the results and poor form from Lawson had concerned Horner, he revealed that the expectations being placed on the youngster and how he dealt with that was a pivotal factor in Red Bull’s decision to part company with him.

He revealed that it was something that became apparent to the engineers at the Milton Keynes-based team.

‘It was something that was very clear to the engineering side within the team, just how much Liam was struggling with it all,’ he said.

‘You could see that weight upon his shoulders. The engineers were coming to me very concerned about it, and at the end of the day, I think it was the logical thing to do.’

Horner had also suggested that Lawson had struggled with the RB21 at the start of the season.

But Lawson admitted his frustrations over how quickly the decision came about.

‘Honestly, yes. Obviously, I would have loved more time,’ he said.

‘And I felt like with more time, especially going to places that I’d been before… it was a tough start. 

‘We had a rocky testing. We had a rocky first weekend in Melbourne with practice. And then obviously China was a Sprint.

‘I think going to places that I’d been before with the way the car was quite tricky, I think that would have helped and I would have loved that opportunity.

‘But obviously, it’s not my decision, so I’m here to make the most of this one.’

Tsunoda, meanwhile, will replace Lawson as Verstappen’s team-mate and offered his take on the situation.

‘For me, it was brutal last year when they chose Liam instead of myself,’ Tsunoda added.

‘I am sure Liam understands how quickly things change under our structure.

‘It is one of the reasons why we succeed but also why we tend to get more tension with those situations.’