Red Bull’s ruthless gamble: Yuki Tsunoda replaces struggling Liam Lawson just two races into F1 season

In a move that underscores Red Bull Racing’s relentless pursuit of dominance, the team has axed Liam Lawson just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season, promoting Yuki Tsunoda in an early shake-up. The decision comes amid a rocky start for Lawson, who struggled to adapt to the RB21, leading to his swift demotion back to the Racing Bulls team.

Lawson, who was initially handed a golden opportunity to race alongside three-time world champion Max Verstappen, failed to make an impression. His F1 campaign began with a disastrous crash in Australia, and he qualified last in both the sprint and main race in China. With no points on the board, his tenure at Red Bull was cut short in brutal fashion, highlighting the unforgiving nature of the sport.

The decision echoes past Red Bull midseason switches, where drivers failing to meet expectations were swiftly replaced. Lawson’s struggle to tame the RB21 drew parallels to former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who also battled with the car’s narrow performance window before his departure last year.

For Yuki Tsunoda, the promotion to Red Bull’s senior team marks a significant career milestone. The Japanese driver, who has been with the organization since 2021, has consistently improved, showing impressive pace and racecraft. Now, he has the chance to prove himself in a front-running car, beginning with his home race at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, acknowledged Tsunoda’s rapid development and emphasized that his experience would help address the RB21’s issues.

“We came into the 2025 season with two ambitions: to retain the world drivers’ championship and reclaim the world constructors’ title. This is a purely sporting decision,” Horner stated.

His remarks signal that Red Bull remains laser-focused on performance, with no room for patience when a driver fails to deliver.

Red Bull’s swift decision to swap drivers is nothing new. The team has a history of making midseason changes, the most recent being in 2019 when Pierre Gasly was dropped in favor of Alex Albon. The team’s driver lineup is known for its instability, with Verstappen now welcoming his sixth different teammate in 10 seasons.

While Red Bull has shown patience with top drivers like Verstappen, others haven’t been so lucky. Lawson’s demotion follows a similar fate suffered by Gasly, Albon, and Daniil Kvyat, all of whom were moved aside when they failed to meet the team’s high expectations.

Despite the setback, Red Bull insists that Lawson remains part of its long-term plans. Horner emphasized that sending him back to Racing Bulls is an effort to develop him further in a more familiar environment.

“We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam. After such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so he can gain experience,” Horner added.

Lawson will now partner with rookie Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls, a team designed to nurture young talent. While his dream of competing for podiums with Red Bull has been put on hold, his performance at Racing Bulls will determine whether he gets another shot in the future.

For Tsunoda, this is his best—and possibly last—opportunity to prove he belongs in a top-tier F1 team. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, consistency has been his biggest hurdle. His aggressive driving and sometimes volatile radio outbursts have drawn criticism in the past, but his recent performances suggest he has matured into a more composed competitor.

One factor complicating Tsunoda’s long-term future is his association with Honda, Red Bull’s current engine supplier, which will be replaced by Ford in 2026. With Honda aligning itself with Aston Martin for next season, Tsunoda may need to prove he is valuable to Red Bull beyond his connections to the Japanese manufacturer.

Despite multiple driver changes, Red Bull’s fortunes still rest on Max Verstappen’s shoulders. The Dutchman has been the only Red Bull driver to win a race in nearly two years, and the only one to secure a podium in the past 12 months. The team’s struggles to find a competitive second driver have made it increasingly reliant on Verstappen to deliver results.

As Tsunoda steps into the spotlight, the question remains: Can he finally be the teammate Verstappen needs to secure another constructors’ title for Red Bull, or will he become yet another casualty of the team’s ruthless driver policy?

The upcoming Japanese Grand Prix will offer the first glimpse into whether this gamble pays off.