Red Bull has announced a major driver shake-up, with Yuki Tsunoda stepping up to the senior team from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards. This decision comes after Liam Lawson’s difficult start to the 2025 season, prompting the team to reshuffle their lineup.
Japan Will Be a Home Debut for Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull
Lawson, who earned his Red Bull promotion after impressing in a stand-in role at Racing Bulls in 2024, has struggled to adapt to the RB21.
His debut campaign saw him crash out in Australia’s tricky conditions before finishing outside the points in China, leaving Red Bull in a tough position just two races into the season.
With mounting performance concerns, the team has replaced him with Yuki Tsunoda, who will now partner with Max Verstappen at Suzuka and beyond.
ready for the challenge ahead
挑戦への覚悟はできている pic.twitter.com/T7pyPSi26R
— 角田裕毅/Yuki Tsunoda (@yukitsunoda07) March 27, 2025
Journey to the Top
Tsunoda’s rise through F1 has been steady since his 2021 debut with AlphaTauri.
Over the past few seasons, he has demonstrated significant growth, outperforming various teammates, including Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo.
His 2024 season was particularly strong, contributing to the majority of Racing Bulls’ points tally. He scored 30 of the 46 points scored across three drivers.
While initially overlooked for a Red Bull promotion in favour of Lawson, Tsunoda now finds himself with a golden opportunity to prove himself at the front of the grid.
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The Team’s Decision
Red Bull 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.”
Despite being replaced, Lawson remains part of the Red Bull family, returning to Racing Bulls to continue his development alongside rookie Isack Hadjar. This mirrors past scenarios involving Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly, who were both sent back to the junior team after short stints at Red Bull.
Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies also shared his thoughts, praising Tsunoda’s well-earned promotion while welcoming Lawson back:
“Yuki’s development has been fantastic, and he fully deserves this opportunity
“At the same time, we are excited to work with Liam again. He knows the team well, and we believe he can bounce back from this setback.”
We can confirm that @LiamLawson30 will drive for the Team from the #JapaneseGP 👊#F1 #VCARB
— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) March 27, 2025
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Heading to Japan
As F1 heads to Japan, Yuki Tsunoda’s debut at Red Bull will be one of the biggest talking points of the weekend. Racing in front of his home crowd, he will have the chance to prove that he belongs in a top team.
Meanwhile, Lawson will aim to rebuild his confidence at Racing Bulls, hoping to earn another shot at Red Bull in the future.
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Recording Date: 26.03.2025
