"Why is Liam even in f1": Formula 1 fans speak their mind amid Red Bull's reported high-stakes switch

In a dramatic turn of events, reports have emerged of Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull, as early as the Japanese Grand Prix. Falling short on his bid for Red Bull's second seat, Lawson is reportedly returning to Racing Bulls, after only two races into the season.

After the 2024 season wrapped up, Sergio Perez had his contract terminated by RedBull, citing his failure to help secure the constructors championship. Looking for a replacement, the Austrian team decided to favor Liam Lawson instead of Tsunoda, after his eleven races with Racing Bulls during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

In what seemed like a nail in the coffin for Tsunoda, his chances for the championship caliber team had regained after an impressive start to the 2025 season. Meanwhile, Lawson experienced difficulties adapting to the RB21 and remained a fixture among the backmarkers, as talks began about the 23-year-old Kiwi's worthiness of the Red Bull seat.

After a week of rumors, reports of the alleged driver swap broke late on Tuesday night, March 25.

Tsunoda qualified an impressive P5 in the season opener in Australia. However, Lawson had a rather poor showing, exiting Q1 at 18th, revealing a performance gap with teammate Verstappen, who'd qualified third. Lawson's struggles continued in the main race, as he crashed out under wet conditions, while Tsunoda finished ahead in 12th place.

China was no different, as Lawson qualified last on both the sprint and the main race, while Tsunoda qualified eighth and finished sixth on the sprint. Verstappen qualifying on the front row didn't help either, with rumors suggesting an immediate replacement post China.

Following reports of the alleged swap, fans have reacted with mixed feelings, with some directly supporting the decision.

"Why is Liam even in F1? He just proved he’s not even within range of the best drivers in the world."

Meanwhile, supporters of Tsunoda expressed their excitement,

"Yuki finally at the place he deserves," an X user said.

However, some fans worried about Tsunoda's fate with the troubled team,

"Big oof to Liam after only 2 races. But if Yuki doesn’t perform and he’s now the ‘last option’ what do they do then?!"

An X user shared their frustration with the team,

"Didn’t even give him a chance." the fan said.

Another fan highlighted Red Bull's impatience with Lawson,

"I understand this from a marketing standpoint, but you gotta give Lawson more time in that car, he looked more and more comfortable as Shanghai went along, and if you give him some time and allow him to build confidence, I reckon he could turn the season around." the fan commented.

Finally, an x user celebrated the news and looked forward to Tsunoda's drive at home.

"Home race for Yuki in Japan at Red Bull. Could he have dreamed of anything better? I think not! We'll see how it ends" an X user wrote.

If the reports are to be believed, Tsunoda's transition to Red Bull would begin with a triple-header, starting with his home turf in Japan, followed by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. However, no official confirmation has been made.

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When Tsunoda opened up on being future teammates with Max Verstappen

As a Racing Bulls driver, Yuki Tsunoda expressed his eagerness to take on the "monster" that is Max Verstappen, if given the chance to race alongside him. Following reports of his drive with the Austrian team, Tsunoda stands to realize his words at the Japanese Grand Prix, with Liam Lawson set to take his place at Racing Bulls.

Ever since his debut in 2021, Yuki Tsunoda's graduation from the junior team to Red Bull has been a long time coming. Although the Japanese driver displayed raw pace, his hot-headedness remained a cause for concern with the Red Bull hierarchy.

However, the 24-year-old has managed to rein in his temper and put up consistent performances over the years, besting the likes of Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo, Nyck de Vries, and Liam Lawson as his teammates. Achieving a personal best of 12th in the 2024 standings after finishing in the points on nine occasions, he garnered strong support among fans for a Red Bull promotion.

After Verstappen clinched the 2024 championship in Las Vegas, Tsunoda addressed a possible drive alongside the No.1 driver.

"I am ready to fight against that monster, but at the same time, well done to him, congrats," he said.

With Tsunoda alongside the reigning champion, Red Bull will look to resolve their driver pairing issue and mount a challenge for the constructors championship, currently sitting third in the standings behind Mercedes and McLaren.