Red Bull Changes F1 Lineup: Lawson Replaced by Tsunoda for Japanese GP

Key questions arise following Red Bull`s announcement of a driver swap, replacing Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Why the Immediate Change?

Red Bull states that this `driver rotation,` confirmed on Thursday morning, is purely a `sporting decision.` The team aims to improve their chances of winning the constructors` championship, which McLaren won the previous year.

Christian Horner, Red Bull`s team principal, emphasized a `duty of care` towards Lawson. He suggested this move would `protect and develop` Lawson after challenging races in the RB21.

• Red Bull claims `duty of care` in Lawson-Tsunoda driver swap.
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Regardless of Red Bull`s stated reasons for reversing Lawson’s promotion from Racing Bulls, the decision is undoubtedly harsh for the 23-year-old from New Zealand.

It`s undeniable that Lawson`s performances in the RB21, one of the fastest cars in the 2025 season, were surprisingly poor across two race weekends.

His qualifying results were 18th, 20th, and 20th – the worst sequence for a Red Bull driver in two decades. Race results included a retirement due to a crash in the Australian GP, 14th in the China Sprint, and 12th in the Chinese GP (after three drivers ahead were disqualified).

In contrast, Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, consistently qualified within the top two rows and finished second, third, and fourth in the same RB21 car.

These results place Verstappen just eight points behind Lando Norris in the Drivers` Championship. However, Lawson`s lack of points means Red Bull is already 42 points behind McLaren in the constructors` standings, which determines team prize money.

Lawson`s results from the initial two weekends clearly show his struggles in a car Verstappen maximized. Lawson himself admitted his pace was `just not good enough` after qualifying last for the second consecutive day in Shanghai.

Craig Slater from Sky Sports News commented, suggesting that removing Lawson from the immediate pressure might be beneficial long-term. He noted that Lawson struggled more than expected to adapt to the car. Sources described Lawson as `frazzled,` `at a loss,` and feeling it was `too much too soon.` His qualifying results were significantly below Red Bull standards.

Liam Lawson`s Red Bull Performance

Why Wasn`t Lawson Given More Time?

This is a crucial question for Horner when he addresses the media at Suzuka. Shouldn`t Lawson have been given more time to improve, especially considering Verstappen acknowledged the RB21 is a challenging car? Red Bull admitted needing `a lot of work` on the RB21.

Red Bull has a history of mid-season driver changes, from Daniil Kvyat to Pierre Gasly. However, demoting Lawson so early in the season is unprecedented in its speed.

Lawson clarified that his comment about `not having time` after qualifying in China referred to the season`s rapid pace. Ironically, it turned out to be literally true.

Lawson joined Red Bull with limited experience – just 11 grand prix starts with the junior team. He also had no prior experience at Albert Park or the Shanghai International Circuit.

Interestingly, Suzuka is familiar to Lawson from his 2023 Super Formula season in Japan and his 11th-place finish there for AlphaTauri in 2023, ahead of Tsunoda.

Bahrain, the next race after Japan, is where Lawson first tested the RB21 in pre-season.

Why Lawson Initially Replaced Perez?

On December 19th, Red Bull announced Lawson as Verstappen`s teammate. It became clear Red Bull intended to replace the underperforming Sergio Perez, despite his contract, and Lawson was chosen over the more experienced Tsunoda.

While Red Bull frequently promotes junior drivers, Lawson being selected over Tsunoda sparked debate. Lawson debuted in F1 in 2023, substituting for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri.

Lawson impressed in 2023, scoring points in Singapore and twice finishing just outside the points in 11th.

He replaced Ricciardo fully for the last six races of 2024 but was out-qualified 4-2 by Tsunoda, who also scored more points.

Red Bull believed Lawson had the mental strength needed alongside Verstappen. His initial small gaps to Tsunoda suggested potential for growth with more experience.

Why Tsunoda Now, Not Earlier?

If Tsunoda is now ready, why wasn`t he considered when Lawson was promoted? Is this reversal solely due to Lawson`s struggles, or has Tsunoda`s strong start changed Red Bull`s perception?

Tsunoda had already completed 87 races over four seasons for Racing Bulls by December. It`s questionable what significantly changed in three months and two more races to alter assessments of his abilities.

Tsunoda has indeed started impressively, with three top-10 qualifying results and strong race performances in a surprisingly competitive Racing Bulls car. Helmut Marko noted that `Yuki is a different Yuki` this year.

Tsunoda maintains ties to Honda, despite their engine partnership shifting to Aston Martin next season. Did Red Bull`s reservations about Tsunoda, despite his experience advantage over Lawson, suddenly disappear? Or were they left with limited options?

Horner stated that `Yuki’s experience will be highly beneficial in developing the current car,` suggesting his experience is better suited to a car underperforming expectations.

What If Tsunoda Doesn`t Perform Better?

This is another likely question for Horner. Unlike Lawson, Tsunoda lacks pre-season testing in the RB21 and will jump straight into Practice One at Suzuka. He will have simulator time at Milton Keynes beforehand.

Despite more F1 experience, Tsunoda is less familiar with the main Red Bull team than Lawson, who was a long-time reserve driver. Lawson has also driven more Red Bull cars in tests, while Tsunoda`s only Red Bull test was a single day in Abu Dhabi, where Horner noted he performed well.

Verstappen`s Perspective?

Slater noted it will be interesting to hear Verstappen`s view. Will he see it as pragmatic or question Red Bull`s decision-making?

Verstappen`s Instagram account `liked` a post by Giedo van der Garde criticizing Red Bull`s move and supporting Lawson. Van der Garde called it `bullying` and a `panic move,` suggesting Lawson`s spirit was crushed after just two races. He urged Lawson to `prove them wrong.`

Red Bull stated the change was out of `duty of care` for Lawson`s development.

Van der Garde`s post was also liked by ex-Red Bull driver Gasly and McLaren`s Oscar Piastri.

While the context of Verstappen`s `like` is unclear, he showed support for Lawson during the Chinese GP weekend. He told De Telegraaf that the performance gap between drivers is smaller at other teams, implying the Red Bull car is challenging. He suggested Lawson would be faster in the Racing Bulls car, which he believes is easier to drive.

Verstappen cryptically commented on Racing Bulls` strong start, saying they are `very close to me. Maybe that also says something, but yeah, I don’t know.`

Why Not Sign an Experienced Driver This Year?

Red Bull did – Sergio Perez. However, his two-year contract extension for 2025-2026 didn`t improve his performance. Perez struggled with the Red Bull car, losing confidence and scoring only nine points in the final eight races, with no podiums in the last 19 events. This impacted Red Bull`s constructors` title chances, making a change inevitable.

Red Bull overlooked Carlos Sainz, a former junior driver, when he was available from Ferrari, opting to re-sign Perez. Horner cryptically cited `various criteria and dynamics` for this decision.

Re-hiring Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls as a backup also didn`t work out, as he was outperformed by Tsunoda before Lawson replaced him after the Singapore GP.

Max Verstappen`s Red Bull Teammates

Why Have So Many Drivers Struggled as Verstappen`s Teammate?

Tsunoda will be Verstappen`s sixth teammate in 10 seasons. After Ricciardo left for Renault in 2019, Gasly and Albon, promising junior drivers, lasted only 12 and 26 races, respectively.

Perez was brought in from 2021, and this worked well initially as Red Bull regained dominance. However, from mid-2023, the car`s characteristics began causing Perez problems.

The 2025 car is slightly different, but Lawson found the RB21 equally challenging. He told Sky Sports F1 that driving an F1 car requires `100 percent confidence.` He felt he was missing the `small window` needed to perform optimally.

Is Red Bull`s Car Designed Just for Verstappen?

This is a common question, but it`s likely too simplistic. Red Bull engineers aim to create the fastest possible car overall. Red Bull`s challenge is heightened as McLaren and other rivals have closed the performance gap after Red Bull`s previous dominance.

Horner told Sky Sports F1 that Verstappen prefers a `very positive front-end` and `sharp turn-in` in the car to maximize speed. The issue might be that this car characteristic is harder for other drivers to manage.