Red Bull announced on Thursday that Liam Lawson has been replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, confirming days of speculation just two race weekends into the Formula 1 season. Tsunoda will take over from the struggling New Zealander starting at next week’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Red Bull stated. The 24-year-old Tsunoda moves up from the RB team to partner four-time world champion Max Verstappen, while Lawson returns to RB, where he raced last season.
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, explained the decision: "It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 in the first two races, and as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch." He added, "We came into the 2025 season with two ambitions: to retain the World Drivers’ Championship and reclaim the World Constructors’ title. This is a purely sporting decision."
Lawson, 23, who was promoted from RB during the winter to replace Sergio Perez, has had a challenging start to the 2025 season. He has been eliminated in the first stage of all three qualifying sessions and has yet to score a point. Meanwhile, Verstappen, in the other Red Bull car, is second in the title race with 36 points, trailing early-season leader Lando Norris of McLaren by eight points.
Horner emphasized the duty of care toward Lawson’s development: "We have a responsibility to protect and develop Liam. After such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so he can gain experience as he continues his F1 career with Racing Bulls, a team and environment he knows very well."
Tsunoda has shown promising pace in both race weekends so far this season. He finished 12th in Australia and narrowly missed scoring points in Shanghai last weekend due to RB’s flawed two-stop pit strategy. Tsunoda made his Formula 1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, becoming the first Japanese driver on the grid since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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