Red Bull has confirmed the replacement of drivers between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, who will be setting up a tsunami along with Max Verstappen in Red Bull Racing after Japan’s Grand Prix.
Lawson was chosen solely to replace Sergio Perez ahead of Zunodas in December, with only two races with Red Bull before the changes were made. The New Zealander was unable to escape the first quarter in any of the qualifying sessions he participated in, and was last seen in both sessions in China and not in the frame of points on either weekends.
Despite a poor start, Red Bull cites Lawson’s mental strength and greater potential, and that decision remains a shock U-turn earlier this year as two key reasons he was given a drive after only 11 Grand Prix began earlier this season.
With the involvement of Key Red Bull stakeholders following the Chinese Grand Prix, the team principal Christian Horner has seen the greater experience of Zhnoda as a backdrop of the difficulty of getting a consistent pace from Shangay’s 2025 car.
“It was hard to see Liam battling RB21 in the first two races, and as a result, we decided to collectively make an early switch,” Horner said. “We came to hold two ambitions for the 2025 season to maintain the World Driver Championship and regain the World Constructor title. This is purely a sporting decision.
“We acknowledge that there is a lot to do with the RB21, and Yuki’s experience proves to be extremely beneficial in helping to develop the car today. We welcome him to the team and look forward to seeing him behind the wheels of the RB21.”
Tsunoda has been in his fifth season in Formula 1, earning his fourth best finish from the final round of his rookie season in Abu Dhabi. He finished sixth in the Chinese sprint, giving the Racing Bulls the first point of the season and finishing fifth in Australia, but was unable to take advantage of the changing circumstances of the race.
Meanwhile, Horner believes Lawson’s return to the Racing Bulls (the team he has completed 11 races as an alternative driver over the past two seasons) will give the 23-year-old the opportunity to rebuild his confidence.
“We have an obligation to protect and develop Liam, and together, it makes sense that we can gain experience as he continues his Formula One career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, the environment and the team he knows well so that Liam can gain experience after such a difficult start,” he said.