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Red Bull is reportedly prepared to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda after just two races in the 2025 F1 season, considering the former's performance. Recent reports suggest that Honda, the team's primary engine supplier, also plays a major role in Tsuonda's promotion to the team.
Tsunoda has been driving for Red Bull's junior F1 team since the 2021 season and has improved dramatically in terms of consistency and overall finishes. Yet, when the team decided to swap out Sergio Perez earlier this year with another driver, they chose Liam Lawson, who did not turn out to be the ideal choice considering his subpar finishes in the two race weekends this year.
While the reports still loom that Lawson will be sacked and perhaps demoted to Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda is now expected to finally take hold of the second seat at Red Bull Racing in the next race itself.
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Honda, who supplies engines to both teams, has always primarily supported Tsunoda. Speculation suggests that Honda could have a role to play in the driver's promotion to RBR, considering his nationality, and the next Grand Prix, which is scheduled in Japan on the Suzuka Circuit, which Honda also owns.
It has been over a decade since a Japanese driver finished on the podium in Formula 1, and with the improvements that Tsunoda has shown over the seasons, he could very well be a competitor at the front of the grid, so it would only make sense for Honda to promote him as it would be a great opportunity for the brand.
Honda has supported Yuki Tsunoda throughout his years in racing, beginning in Formula 4, given his competitiveness.
"We have to have two cars in there": Red Bull team boss assesses chances of winning the Constructors' title this season
Red Bull Racing had a drop in performance in the second half of the 2024 F1 season that saw their lead in the Constructors' Championship slip away. However, Max Verstappen was able to clinch his fourth consecutive Drivers' title through consistent performance throughout the season.
As McLaren leads the field in the current season, Horner feels that challenging them for the title would be a difficult task, moreover, he mentioned that both of their cars need to be scoring points.
"The [Teams’] Championship is a very tough ask, and we need to make significant progress with the car in order to even challenge for that," he said (via F1). "You have to have two cars scoring, that obviously hurt us badly last year."
"We have to have two cars in there, and even to compete for the Drivers’, you’ve got to have another car in play. It’s vitally important for the team to ensure that we have both drivers running as close to the front as we can," Horner added.
Red Bull is currently placed third in the standings with 36 points scored by Verstappen alone in the season so far. Liam Lawson has yet to score a point, however, as reports suggest, he would be replaced before the Japanese Grand Prix.
