Politics, not performance, was what ultimately cost Kiwi hopeful Liam Lawson a fulltime drive in Formula One next season, says compatriot Mitch Evans.
Lawson, 21, was arguably the most interesting storyline in an otherwise predictable Formula One season, that saw Max Verstappen win a record 19 races for a third straight world championship.
As AlphaTauri's Daniel Ricciardo suffered a broken hand in practice for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Red Bull junior Lawson was rushed into Formula One at the last minute, and impressed from the word go.
After qualifying last but finishing 13th in his first race, Lawson finished 11th in Italy and Japan, 17th in Qatar, and ninth in Singapore.
The Singapore result was AlphaTauri's best of the season, until Yuki Tsunoda finished eighth in the year-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
But despite showing he could compete for AlphaTauri, who finished eighth in the world constructors championship, Lawson will not be racing full-time next season.
And while the decision to retain AlphaTauri's current pair of Ricciardo and Tsunoda was made before the Kiwi was given a chance, it's more than fair to say off-track reasons are behind the team's decision.
Ricciardo is one of the most marketable drivers on the planet given his role in Netflix's Drive to Survive documentary series, while Tsunoda holds strong links to Red Bull's engine supplier, Honda.
If there's one person who understands Lawson's plight, though, it's Evans.
The 29-year-old was for years touted as a Formula One hopeful, and was backed by former Red Bull driver Mark Webber.
But despite years of impressing in the GP3 and GP2 categories, a chance in Formula One never came, seeing Evans forced to look elsewhere for opportunity to race at the highest level.
Now competing for titles for Jaguar in Formula E, though, Evans makes no bones of what Lawson is currently experiencing.
"F1 is quite a unique category, it's obviously very political," Evans told Newshub. "We're seeing that with Liam right now.
"He got a unique chance to replace Daniel, and he did a fantastic job, I thought, with the limited running he got. But he held his own really well.
"Now he's on the sidelines again, let's see for how long. It just shows you how political the sport is. I've been on the receiving end of that, unfortunately.
"But he's got a great opportunity. He's with Red Bull, they're very fond of him. I'm sure he's going to have a bright future.
"It is a brutal, cutthroat sport. I hope the best for him. Let's see where he ends up in the future."
For now, Lawson will remain as part of the Formula One grid, staying on as a reserve driver for the 2024 season, a role he's held for the last two years.
However, Newshub understands there is strong pressure from within Red Bull on the pair of Ricciardo and senior team driver Sergio Perez.
Should one or both struggle in the opening half of 2024, it's likely Red Bull will reshuffle their driver pairings to see Lawson in at AlphaTauri, with either Perez or Ricciardo to make way.
Those circumstances, Evans says, will play right into the young Kiwi's hands.
"He just needs to be patient now, which is probably the last thing he needs to hear," he continued. "He's done everything he needs to do, it's kind of out of his hands, which is also very frustrating.
"That's just our sport, a lot of it depends on timing, on other drivers, on being in the right place at the right time.
"He did a good job, and did enough to earn himself a fulltime gig. But there's many drivers out there trying to break in as well. He's in a great position with Red Bull, it's a matter of time, but the stars do have to align.
"For him to have that little taste and now be back on the sideline must be frustrating, but at least he proved what he's capable of doing.
"I'd just say be patient, and I'm sure good things will happen to him."
Evans will continue in Formula E when it resumes in mid-January, where he'll be joined by fellow New Zealander Nick Cassidy for an all-Kiwi pairing at Jaguar.
