Mike's Minute: The harsh reality of elite sport

The problem with Red Bull and Liam Lawson is several fold. 

One, the most egregious part is, if the reports are true, that Honda offered another $10 million to get their man Yuki Tsunoda in the seat. This is not new, they have done so before but were rebuffed. 

Two, next weekend would be the first track Liam had actually driven on previously. Red Bull would have known this when they hired him. To have two races on unknown tracks is pretty tough. 

Three, they hung in with other drivers who struggled a lot longer than two races. So suddenly the harshness has reached a new level and probably reflects an internal level of panic given the performance of other teams. 

Four, they know Liam can actually drive the car. They saw it, they tested him, and he can do it. So, they are not guessing. They took a punt on him but not a blind punt. 

So, you then have to look at the damage you are doing to a young driver and his confidence. 

Yes, he is still in F1 and yes, the Racing Bulls are improving on what they did last year, but he will never win mainly because Racing Bulls is a feeder team to Red Bull, so they are not allowed to win. 

Red Bull also carry responsibility for building a car that doesn’t work. Even Max Verstappen, the driver of his generation, is having trouble. 

So Liam goes to a mid-field team to do what? Hopefully perform well to then be lured away to someone who can offer the hope of better prospects. 

As exciting as living a F1 dream is, turning up each weekend to come 13th can't be that much fun after a while. 

The cutthroat part though is life. The good thing about motor racing is they have been in it since they were kids. They have been schooled in winning and losing and in victory and failure. 

Liam has had Helmut Marko in his ear forever. It's a tough and unforgiving business. But that’s the keyword, business. They aren't in it because they like you, they are in it to use your talent for as long as you are useful. 

The reward is if you're good you get rich, famous, collect trophies, buy a place in Monaco, and live your dream. 

If you're okay, you drive for Alpine or Sauber, travel the word, and get moderately wealthy. 

It ain't over, but your heart goes out to a bloke who was that close. 

He seems sadly to be on the end of some poor management, ruthless ethics, and the cold reality of elite sport.

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