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Red Bull Racing has officially confirmed that Liam Lawson will be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s teammate, starting from the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix weekend. The driver swap will see the New Zealander return to Racing Bulls while Tsunoda steps up to the senior team.
After weeks of speculation regarding Lawson’s future, Red Bull has finally broken its silence. Dutch publications De Limburger and De Telegraaf were the first to report the potential change following the Chinese Grand Prix, while F1 photographer Kym Illman even went as far as to suggest that Lawson could have found out about his replacement through the press.
Sources within Red Bull confirmed to Sportskeeda that the decision was driven by the need for Tsunoda’s experience in developing the RB21. In an official team statement, Christian Horner acknowledged that it was difficult to watch Lawson struggle during the opening two race weekends. He explained that the move was made with both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in mind, emphasizing the importance of having two competitive drivers. Red Bull believes that sending Lawson back to the junior team will allow him to rebuild and gain further experience.
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Announcing the driver swap in a team press release, the Red Bull Racing CEO 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.”
Red Bull's decision to swap Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda was taken collectively
Sources within Red Bull suggest that the decision to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda was made collectively by the team’s senior management and shareholders rather than being Christian Horner’s call alone. A senior spokesperson confirmed to Sportskeeda that the move involved key figures such as Dr. Helmut Marko and Red Bull’s shareholders.
Dutch publications De Telegraaf and De Limburger had earlier reported that Oliver Mintzlaff, Chalerm Yoovidhya, and Red Bull’s senior leadership—including Horner and Marko—were set to meet in Dubai to discuss Lawson’s future. While initial speculation suggested that the decision could be delayed, Ralf Schumacher told Sky Germany that Dr. Marko was keen to make the call sooner rather than later.
Speaking to Sky Sports Germany about the swap after the Chinese GP, Schumacher said:
“Liam Lawson is already out for the next race. Tsunoda will replace him. If the doctor has his way, relatively quickly.”
Several members of the F1 press had already fueled speculation that Red Bull was closing in on a decision to replace Liam Lawson. While the swap with Yuki Tsunoda will take effect from the Japanese GP, there are no guarantees that the latter will adapt quickly to the RB21—especially without any preseason testing.
Ideally, Red Bull targets a gap of two to three-tenths between their drivers, but Lawson was nearly a full second off Max Verstappen’s pace. While a mid-season driver change after just two races may seem harsh, Red Bull argues that sending Lawson back to Racing Bulls will allow him to gain the experience he currently lacks.
The New Zealander crashed out in Australia, finished 14th in the sprint race in China, and 12th in the main race—consistently outperforming the two Racing Bulls drivers. Tsunoda will become Verstappen’s third teammate in four races and the fifth since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from Red Bull at the end of 2018.
