Following the Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan sagas in the 2025 season, we’ve analyzed some of the most brutal dismissals in Formula 1 history.
After just two races, Red Bull decided to remove Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda.
New Zealander Lawson has returned to Red Bull’s sister team, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
Following last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, another driver was sacked, this time by Doohan, who has been replaced by Franco Colapinto at Alpine.
Unlike Lawson, Doohan will not be competing in F1 in the near future, as he will take on the role of Alpine’s reserve driver.
As a result of the aforementioned situations, we’ve selected some brutal dismissals that will forever be etched in F1 history.
Sébastien Bourdais – Red Bull/Toro Rosso
Red Bull is known for its direct and brutal approach, and that was on full display during the 2008 season.
After struggling with his sister team, Toro Rosso, Bourdais was replaced by Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari.
Speaking about his dismissal, Bourdais revealed that he received the news via text messages from then-team boss Franz Tost.
He commented: “The way they got rid of me was very disappointing. He didn’t speak to me. He didn’t call me. Everything was done via text message, which, to me, was out of style.”
However, Tost denied the accusations, stating: “I personally told Mr. Bourdais that I would no longer be piloting, and I did not send him any text messages.”
Kevin Magnussen – McLaren
Magnussen faces dismissal after finishing 11th in the 2014 season.
The Dane was replaced by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, and in fact, he was given the news on his birthday.
According to The Sun, McLaren chief Ron Dennis asked his personal assistant to break the news.
Magnussen said: “It was a short paragraph explaining that there would be nothing for me in the future. In fact, it arrived on my birthday.”
Nelson Piquet Jr – Renault
This was one of the most controversial incidents in F1 history.
Renault decided to part ways with Piquet after he failed to score a single point in the first half of the 2009 season.
The Brazilian responded to team boss Flavio Briatore and other members of the board, claiming he was ordered to crash during the Singapore Grand Prix to help Alonso win the race.
After a series of investigations and legal proceedings, it was revealed that Piquet was telling the truth.
Renault ended up receiving a two-year ban from the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
Jolyon Palmer – Renault
In 2017, British driver Palmer was replaced by Spaniard Carlos Sainz at Renault.
However, no one seemed to have informed the Englishman, and Palmer himself admitted that he only found out about his dismissal when he saw the news on Autosport.
He commented: “I knew it when I read it in Autosport. And then I knew it was true; I spoke to a few people. That was it.”
