Yuki Tsunoda has finally been given the chance to race for Red Bull in Formula 1 after being called up to replace Liam Lawson.
The Japanese driver has been promoted to Red Bull after just two races in the 2025 season. Tsunoda was snubbed by Lawson for Sergio Perez’s seat over the winter.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit had thought the New Zealander had more potential and that his driving style would be ‘more aligned’ to Max Verstappen than Perez.
However, Christian Horner was proved wrong when Lawson failed to reach Q1 in Australia and China, scoring no points in the opening two races. His miserable start to the year has prompted Red Bull to drop the 23-year-old back to Racing Bulls.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Lando Norris |
44 |
| 2 |
Max Verstappen |
36 |
| 3 |
George Russell |
35 |
| 4 |
Oscar Piastri |
34 |
| 5 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
22 |
| 6 |
Alexander Albon |
16 |
| 7 |
Esteban Ocon |
10 |
| 8 |
Lance Stroll |
10 |
| 9 |
Lewis Hamilton |
9 |
| 10 |
Charles Leclerc |
8 |
| 11 |
Nico Hulkenberg |
6 |
| 12 |
Oliver Bearman |
4 |
| 13 |
Yuki Tsunoda |
3 |
| 14 |
Carlos Sainz Jr |
1 |
| 15 |
Isack Hadjar |
0 |
| 16 |
Pierre Gasly |
0 |
| 17 |
Liam Lawson |
0 |
| 18 |
Jack Doohan |
0 |
| 19 |
Gabriel Bortoleto |
0 |
| 20 |
Fernando Alonso |
0 |
Lawson looked ‘frazzled’ behind the scenes as he could not get to grips with the RB21’s setup – much like his predecessors. Meanwhile, Tsunoda had fared much better in the VCARB 02, reaching Q3 in every qualifying session thus far – but has only managed three points after poor strategy calls.
Now, Tsunoda is being thrust into a high-pressure situation as he makes his debut for Red Bull at his home race at Suzuka. He will have to get to grips with the team’s setup, much like Lewis Hamilton is currently doing at Ferrari – but the 24-year-old could adapt to his environment faster.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
Yuki Tsunoda has already experienced a change to his race engineer ahead of his Red Bull move
Hamilton has been working hard behind the scenes to integrate himself into Ferrari after completing his seimistic move from Mercedes in the winter. The seven-time champion has been putting in long hours at the factory and has moved his motorhome closer to minimise his commute.
A key talking point from Hamilton’s start to life at Ferrari has been his radio communications with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami. At the Australian Grand Prix, the Brit was quite agitated over his radio after being relayed too much information during the race.
Hamilton embarrassed his critics at the Chinese Grand Prix with his exchange with Adami after taking pole position for the Sprint – later claiming victory. The pair still have a lot of work to do to build their relationship – much like Tsunoda will have to do at Red Bull.
A report from Autosport confirmed that Richard Wood will be the 24-year-old’s race engineer. He had previously been Perez’s performance engineer and had been working with Lawson – he was ‘not seen as part of Lawson’s problem’ at Red Bull despite being new to the role.
Naturally, relationships take time to gel, and Tsunoda and Wood will be no different. However, Red Bull’s latest recruit is already used to having a change in this department, as Ernesto Desiderio replaced his long-time engineer Mattia Spini at Racing Bulls last summer.
Despite the change, Tsunoda seemed to be unaffected as he mostly outperformed Lawson at the Faenza-based outfit in 2024 and showed encouraging signs in 2025 with regular Q3 appearances. The Japanese driver has proved he can adapt quickly, which could see him gel faster than Hamilton at Ferrari.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Yuki Tsunoda is not looking to waste his opportunity at Red Bull
Tsunoda will be the sixth different driver to go up against Verstappen at Red Bull. He is the fourth junior driver to be promoted to the team since 2019.
The second Red Bull seat has become a poisoned chalice, with no driver being able to handle the sensitive nature of the RB21. However, this is aligned with Tsunoda’s driving style and he has already made an impression.
Helmut Marko praised Tsunoda’s feedback on the simulator, with the 24-year-old even claiming he did not find the car difficult to drive. He will be desperate to get off to a good start with the team, especially in front of his home crowd at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Sagamihara native is looking to score a podium at Suzuka – no Japanese driver has achieved that feat since Kamui Kobayashi in 2012. By targeting a top three finish, Tsunoda has ignored Christian Horner’s advice to Lawson about taking time to perform – it highlights he is ready to take his chance.
