Tsunoda in, Lawson out at Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson at Oracle Red Bull Racing for the Japanese Grand Prix onward. The decision comes after a very difficult first two races for Lawson who will now move back to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

Some may feel this decision was inevitable while others will consider this as yet another example of the revolving door for young drivers in the Red Bull driver program. F1 press, fans and pundits have all been weighing in on the pro and con of this decision over the past week.

Red Bull has the luxury of having two teams and mid-season driver swaps is certainly one weapon in their arsenal but some argue this kind of promotion/demotion back and forth is destructive to young drivers and their careers. Others argue that at this level, drivers have to toughen up and either deliver or their time is over. The requirements are even more oppressive given the current form of the Red Bull RB21 car.

Fans of Yuki have argued that the team should have promoted him at the beginning of the season all along and that the choice of Liam Lawson wasn’t a good one. Others have argued that Yuki has been a bit of a hot head over the last four years and that perhaps Red Bull felt that Liam was a more complete package meaning his approach on and off the track was more akin to what they wanted at Red Bull.

There have been several articles written that question the Red Bull young driver program, it’s efficacy and in this case, the damage it can do to a young driver’s career. Liam drove for two races and I’ve asked the question, does Yuki get two races to prove himself and if he does no better than Liam, do they swap back or did the team see something in Liam that already reveals he won’t be a fit at the team even if he does improve his pace?

I think the answers lie in the nuance of this situation and the luxury they have to swap drivers until they find one who can improve their chances of scoring points for the constructor’s championship. If Yuki doesn’t deliver, they may even try someone else, who knows?

The issue at hand is that the car is seriously on the nose and Max Verstappen seems to be one of the few drivers who can make the most of the characteristic. It’s odd that Max can master this unique characteristic while other drivers struggle. Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, Alex Albon and now Liam Lawson have all failed to deliver where Max has.

What does that say about both the car and Max? I think it says a lot about Max as a driver and it also says a lot about how he likes the car and the narrow window it seems to operate in—which says even more about Max’s ability. Is it the car? Is it Max? I think it’s a combination of both.

Five teammates weren’t able to deliver the performance the team wanted in the second car. Two of those five are still in F1. Is there hope for Liam in F1 having lost his ride at Red Bull? In the immediate sense, yes, he is at the Racing Bull’s but what about outside the Red Bull empire? Pierre and Alex have found other good opportunities.

The team press release takes time to mention what a positive fella Yuki is at the Racing Bulls and this is contrary to the outbursts most fans hear on his radio so that’s a bit of a non sequitur for fans to digest. Maybe Yuki is as fun and affable as the team suggest and what fans hear on the radio is just the heat of the moment.

On one hadn’t you could suggest that no one is better placed to know the best move than the team. On the other hand you could argue that the team hasn’t made the best calls with regards to their junior driver, otherwise, Yuki would have been given the ride at the end of last season.

Then again, what if testing Liam for a race or two was the goal? Maybe they saw something in the Lawson package that made them think it was worth a go for a couple races to see if he can manifest the results and swapping drivers now is a logical choice?

Driver swaps have happened at Red Bull but what I find most in the press these days is the speed of the driver swap being of concern. Some articles suggest this 2-race swap is very damaging to the morale of a young driver like Liam and could easily be career ending just as it was for Nyck de Vries.

My personal opinion is that I do hope Yuki can deliver immediately but I would suggest that if he’s not there or thereabouts with Max and if he does no better than Liam did in two races, then swapping them back makes sense just out of a fairness perspective. It’s like team orders to let a driver through to see if they can mount an attack and if they can’t, the team swaps the cars back again.

Now that’s just me being legalistic, the reality is that they may feel Yuki is more seasoned in F1 and even if he struggles, giving Liam more time at RB would be a good long-term investment. Yuki has been with the team for fours seasons so they will ultimately have to make a decision on if he is Red Bull material or not and this is his chance. I hope he rises to the occasion because we know what happens if he doesn’t.

Red Bull’s Statement:

Following a difficult opening period to the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship season for Liam Lawson, Oracle Red Bull Racing have made the decision that from the Japanese Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda will drive for Oracle Red Bull Racing and Lawson for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. Here is all you need to know:

• Red Bull are in the unique position of having four seats on the Formula One grid across Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls therefore the Team have made the decision to exercise a driver rotation that will see Tsunoda partner current and four-time World Champion Max Verstappen.

• Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner said: “It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and, as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch. We came into the 2025 season with two ambitions, to retain the World Drivers’ Championship and to reclaim the World Constructors’ title and this is a purely sporting decision.

• “We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car. We welcome him to the Team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.

• “We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a Team he knows very well.”

• Japan’s Tsunoda, 24, worked his way up through to Formula One from karting to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, the Toyota Racing Series and then the FIA Formula 2 Championship where he claimed three wins and seven podiums in the 2020 season to finish third ahead of the jump up into Formula One for the 2021 season.

• He has spent the past four seasons with Red Bull’s second team where he finished 14th, 17th, 14th and then 12th last year with fifth in qualifying at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, along with sixth place at last week’s Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race, highlighting his impressive form of late.

• New Zealand’s Lawson, 23, will now join French-Algerian rookie Isack Hadjar, 20, at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for the Japanese Grand Prix around Suzuka on April 6 – the third round of the 2025 season.

• Team Principal of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Laurent Mekies said: “We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing! His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational. Personally, and collectively, it has been an immense privilege to witness those progresses for all of us in Faenza and in Milton Keynes. Yuki’s energy and positivity has lightened up every corner of our factories and of our garage and he will always be a Racing Bull! We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR.

• “Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has. He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a Team. With Isack having started strongly with us already, we know we have a young and strong lineup.”