Tsunoda-Lawson: Red Bull Racing Swap drivers in front of F1 Japan GP | Moto Sports News
Japanese Yuki Tsunoda is becoming the latest driver raised to the famous F1 Red Bull team, which he drove along with the World Champion Max Verstappen after Liam Lawson was demolished.
Red Bull Racing says Liam Lawson has been set up and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, confirming only two racing weekends in the F1 race.
Tsunoda will take over from the New Zealander who is fighting starting at his house of Japanese Grand Prix next week in Suzuki, Red Bull said in a statement on Thursday.
Tsunoda, 24, is moving from RB national team to partnership with four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Lawson will return to RB, where he was last season.
Christian Horner, Director of the Red Bull, said: “It was difficult to see Liama fighting with RB21 on the first two races and as a result we collectively made a decision to make an early transition.
“We entered the 2025 season with two ambitions, keep the driver’s World Cup and regain the title of world construction and this is a purely sports decision.”
Lawson, 23 years, who was received from RB in winter to replace Sergio Perez, endured the poor start of the 2025 season.
In the first phase, all three qualifying sessions knocked out and had not yet scored.
Verstappen is in the second Red Bull in the world title with 36 points, eight behind the Lando Norris early season of McLaren.
“We have a duty to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start it makes sense to act quickly so Liam could gain experience, because he continues his F1 career with racing bulls, the environment and a team that he knows very well,” Horner added.
Tsunoda showed a step on both racing weekends of the season.
He was 12 in Australia and ended up in Sanga on Sunday only because of RB’s two-rate wrong strategies.
Tsunoda made his debut Formula 1 with Alphatauri 2021, becoming the first Japanese driver online from Kamui Kobayashi 2014.
Tsunoda is the latest driver that connects with Verstappen to the Red Bull Racing. There will be a fifth teammate for Verstappen since Daniel Ricciardo left at the end of the 2018 season.
