Red Bull have now officially confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson as of the 2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix with the latter going back to Racing Bulls.
In a brutal move, even by the standards that Red Bull have set over the years, the team from Milton Keynes have demoted Lawson back to their sister Racing Bulls outfit after two Grands Prix. He struggled to adapt to the tricky RB21 car after replacing Sergio Perez for this term.
Red Bull held a meeting at their factory this Thursday to finalise the decision to send Lawson back to Racing Bulls, with whom he raced 11 Grands Prix over the 2023 and 2024 terms, and promote Tsunoda – who will now debut for his new squad on home soil at Suzuka on April 6.
Damon Hill wishes Yuki Tsunoda ‘good luck’ after replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull
Further financial support from engine partner Honda helped Tsunoda replace Lawson at Red Bull from his home event, the Japanese GP. It is even the 24-year-old’s first move away from the Faenza crew currently called Racing Bulls since debuting for AlphaTauri in the 2021 term.
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Tsunoda now inherits the challenge Lawson struggled to overcome of mastering the RB21 at Suzuka. Round three of the 2025 F1 season will mark the Kanagawa native’s 93rd Grand Prix entry and 90th start to date. Tsunoda’s best F1 result yet is his P4 in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.
News of Red Bull’s decision to demote Lawson and promote Tsunoda also caught F1 legend Damon Hill’s instant attention. The 1996 F1 drivers’ champion immediately took to X upon the confirmation of Red Bull’s latest driver change, with Hill simply saying: “Good luck Yuki!”
Christian Horner hopes Yuki Tsunoda’s experience helps Red Bull fix their 2025 F1 car
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admits it was ‘difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21’ after Lawson crashed on debut at the Australian Grand Prix and was even the slowest driver in both qualifying sessions at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he came P12 in the race.
Changes to his set-up in parc fermé failed to help the 23-year-old to carve through the order in Shanghai with Lawson unable to master the difficult RB21 that Red Bull have built for Max Verstappen. The car’s sharp front and loose rear end require a driving style few can deliver.
Now, Helmut Marko admits Red Bull made a ‘mistake’ promoting Lawson, too, with Tsunoda initially overlooked for his inconsistency but given the call to come in from the Japanese GP. Horner also hopes Tsunoda’s experience can now help Red Bull resolve the RB21’s problems.
“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” Horner stated in a Red Bull press release announcing that Tsunoda will replace Lawson from the Japanese Grand Prix.
“We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions – to retain the drivers’ championship and to reclaim the constructors’ title – and this is a purely sporting decision.
“We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car.”
