Isack Hadjar’s farewell message to Yuki Tsunoda after he replaced Liam Lawson at Red Bull, ‘a pleasure’

Yuki Tsunoda has finally received the call to drive for Red Bull after four years with Racing Bulls.

The Japanese driver has been promoted at the expense of Liam Lawson, who has been demoted back to Racing Bulls after just two Grand Prix.

The Kiwi driver failed to reach Q2 in the opening two races in Melbourne and Shanghai, qualifying last in the latter Sprint and main race. Lawson has failed to score a point so far while Max Verstappen has been fighting at the front, collecting a podium in Melbourne.

Tsunoda’s promotion marks a dramatic U-turn from the winter period as Red Bull had chosen to promote Lawson over the 24-year-old despite having less experience. Christian Horner felt Lawson had ‘the right mindset’ to go up against Verstappen and had more potential.

However, Horner has been proven wrong. The New Zealander has struggled to understand the RB21’s sensitive setup—something he felt Lawson would be able to do better than Sergio Perez.

Now, Tsunoda will find himself in the Red Bull for his home race at Suzuka. He becomes Verstappen’s sixth teammate since he joined the team in 2016.

Isack Hadjar bids farewell to Yuki Tsunoda ahead of Red Bull promotion

While Lawson was struggling at Red Bull, Tsunoda had been enjoying strong performance at Racing Bulls. He had made it to Q3 in every qualifying session so far in 2025.

Unfortunately, the VCARB 02 has only merited three points thus far. Tsunoda finished sixth in the Sprint in Shanghai but did not score points in the opening Grand Prix after a botched strategy call in Melbourne and damage to his front wing in China.

Teammate Isack Hadjar is yet to score in F1. He crashed out of the formation lap on his debut in Melbourne and missed out on points in Shanghai as he finished 11th.

The Frenchman will now have Lawson next to him for the remainder of the season as Tsunoda moves up the Red Bull ladder. Writing on his Instagram story, he bid farewell to the Japanese driver.

He said: “Was short, but was a pleasure Yuki!”

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Will Yuki Tsunoda be the next to fail at Red Bull?

As aforementioned, Tsunoda is Verstappen’s sixth different teammate at Red Bull. The second seat at the Milton Keynes-based team has become a poisoned chalice as no driver has been able to grasp a car that is so tailored to the four-time champion.

The Dutchman has also been having difficulties with the RB21 as it currently does not have the capabilities to win a race. The concerning thing is that Red Bull do not know how to fix the car, but think dropping Lawson is a solution.

The team are notorious for cutting ties with their drivers mid-season, but Lawson’s exit is by far the most brutal. He has had the shortest Red Bull career in F1 history with two races.

Tsunoda will now be thrust into a car that is difficult to drive – a sharp contrast to the VCARB 02 – and will be expected to perform. If he fails as well, it would prove there is a clear issue with the Red Bull.

Will Buxton wished Tsunoda ‘good luck’ as he labelled Lawson’s departure as ‘laughable’. The Japanese driver will be excited about finally getting his opportunity at Red Bull but history suggests it will not be pleasant.