Red Bull has officially announced that Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda will be exchanging seats starting from the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. The team stated that this decision is aimed at fostering Lawson`s development and providing him better support.
Liam Lawson, aged 23, will be returning to Racing Bulls after just two races with Red Bull. Team principal Christian Horner mentioned a `duty of care` towards Lawson as the reason for this change. Yuki Tsunoda will now have the opportunity to partner Max Verstappen, a position he has been waiting for after more than four seasons with the second Red Bull team.
Max Verstappen currently holds the second position in the F1 Drivers` Championship with 45 points. Liam Lawson has not yet scored any points. Red Bull explained that this driver rotation is intended to improve their overall performance.
Horner commented, “It has been evident that Liam has faced challenges with the RB21 in the initial races. Therefore, we`ve made a collective decision to implement this driver swap early in the season.”
He added, “Our goals for the 2025 season are to secure both the World Drivers` Championship and regain the World Constructors` title. This driver change is purely a sporting decision to help us achieve these objectives.”
Lawson, who will now be teammates with Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls, was initially chosen over Tsunoda to replace Sergio Perez in the winter. This decision was made despite Lawson having only participated in 11 F1 race weekends prior.
Horner pointed to Tsunoda`s greater experience as a key factor in this unexpected swap, which is unusual in Formula 1 history.
Horner further explained, “We recognize that significant improvements are needed for the RB21 car. Yuki`s experience will be invaluable in aiding the development of the current car.”
“We are pleased to welcome Yuki to the team and are excited to see his performance in the RB21.”
“We have a responsibility to nurture and develop Liam. We believe that after a challenging start, it is sensible to act swiftly. This move allows Liam to gain further experience within Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, a team and environment he is already familiar with.”
Max Verstappen`s Red Bull Teammates
| Driver | Season(s) | Races |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Ricciardo | 2016-2018 | 58 |
| Pierre Gasly | 2019 | 12 |
| Alex Albon | 2019-2020 | 26 |
| Sergio Perez | 2021-2024 | 90 |
| Liam Lawson | 2025 | 2 |
Reasons for Lawson`s Difficult Red Bull Stint
Lawson`s 2025 season has been challenging. He was eliminated in the first qualifying stage in all three sessions and struggled to match Verstappen`s race pace.
He qualified 18th in his debut race for Red Bull at the Australian Grand Prix and retired from the race after crashing in wet conditions.
During the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Lawson expressed concerns to Sky Sports F1, stating he felt “I don’t really have time” after qualifying last for the second consecutive time.
Red Bull decided to start Lawson from the pit lane in China to drastically adjust the car setup, but unfortunately, there were no significant improvements in his performance.
“The changes made for Sunday in China were intended to make the car easier to handle and improve the balance. However, it had the opposite effect and made the car slower,” Lawson explained.
“It is what it is, and I need to adapt and figure it out.”
Liam Lawson`s Red Bull Performance Summary
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Australian GP Qualifying | 18th |
| Australian GP | DNF |
| Chinese GP Sprint Qualifying | 20th |
| Chinese GP Sprint | 14th |
| Chinese GP Qualifying | 20th |
| Chinese GP | 12th |
Is Red Bull`s Decision Justified?
Commentary by Nigel Chiu:
“Red Bull is likely trying to correct their initial decision of choosing Lawson over Tsunoda at the start of the year. However, the timing of this swap is questionable.”
“It would seem more logical to give Lawson the upcoming races in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia to prove himself, especially considering he has experience at the first two tracks. A decision could then be made if his performance doesn`t improve.”
“Lawson had never raced in Australia or China before, which partially explains his difficulties. The Chinese Grand Prix was also a Sprint weekend with limited practice time.”
“Red Bull may argue that they need immediate improvements and believe that things cannot worsen with Tsunoda in the car after just two races.”
“However, the pressure on Tsunoda to perform at his home race will be significantly increased. Suzuka is also a challenging track to adapt to a new car quickly.”
“Red Bull urgently needs Tsunoda to perform well. The question remains, what will Verstappen`s perspective be on these changes?”
Red Bull`s History of Driver Demotions
Lawson is the fourth driver to be demoted mid-season by Red Bull`s main team. The previous instances were Christian Klien in 2007, Daniil Kvyat in 2016, and Pierre Gasly in 2019.
Daniil Kvyat joined Red Bull in 2015 but was demoted after four races in 2016. Max Verstappen replaced him and won his first race with Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Pierre Gasly, after his demotion, regained confidence and performed well for the second Red Bull team, even achieving a victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. He later joined Alpine in 2023.
At Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), Scott Speed and Sebastien Bourdais were also replaced mid-season in the late 2000s.
Kvyat was removed from Toro Rosso towards the end of 2017 but returned in 2019. Nyck de Vries was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo during the 2023 summer break. Ricciardo himself was later replaced by Liam Lawson for the last six races of the 2024 season due to injury.
