It's official, Red Bull is once again changing its driver lineup during the season. Lawson will be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull starting from the Japanese Grand Prix.
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| Photo: Mark Thompson |
It only took two races, and Red Bull has run out of patience. On one hand, it's not surprising—Liam finished qualifying in Melbourne in P18 and didn't even finish the race after a light collision in the first corner. In China, he ended both qualifying sessions in last place. In the sprint, he finished P14, and in the race, P12. On the other hand, firing a driver after just two races and tracks he's never raced on before is a bit harsh. But that's how Red Bull operates, and he's not the first Red Bull driver to be "let go" during the season. One example is Pierre Gasly, who was dropped after just 12 Grands Prix by Alex Albon. He compared driving a Red Bull car to setting your mouse sensitivity to the highest setting. Albon didn’t last long either, and the team replaced him after 21 Grands Prix with Sergio Perez, who ended his career at the end of last season.
Horner said:
“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.
“We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions, to retain the world drivers' championship and to reclaim the world 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. We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.
“We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”
It is somewhat risky to sit in the second seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, but Yuki really has nothing to lose. He has been with the "junior" team, Racing Bulls, since 2021, and with Honda's last year with the team, it would also be his last, likely in the entire Formula 1, as Helmut Marko himself had made no secret of the fact that they didn't plan to put Yuki in Red Bull, and other teams didn't seem particularly interested in this driver. Paradoxically, we could observe that at the point when it was clear that Lawson wouldn't stay with the team much longer due to his results and that someone would need to replace him during the season, Helmut Marko’s opinion shifted, and he started speaking very positively about Yuki.
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| Photo: Clive Mason |
Marko said:
“Yuki Tsunoda is a fast driver, we know that, but he’s had his ups and downs. That’s why we thought Lawson was the better and stronger candidate. But Yuki has undergone a transformation. He changed his management, and in this situation, this was simply the best option.
“Because even in Suzuka, although Lawson knows the track, on the other hand Hadjar didn’t know China either and was immediately on pace, almost as fast as Yuki – at least in qualifying. So it was a downward spiral that we needed to break in order to give Lawson a future in his career.
“Yuki has had ups and downs – I remember the two crashes in Mexico, for example. He simply wasn’t as stable as he is now.
“Yuki is in his fifth year. And experience in such difficult conditions is an enormous factor. Yuki has repeatedly emphasised that he’s actually the right man for Red bull racing.”
In order to make an informed decision, Red Bull gave Tsunoda “two or three simulator sessions” after the Chinese Grand Prix.
“We had to act quickly,” Marko commented. “And everything was positive. Also the technical feedback, which he had often been accused of lacking, that he didn’t understand the technical side or couldn’t set up a car – that also turned out to be incorrect.”
We'll see if this Japanese driver can handle the very challenging Red Bull car and also dealing with Max as his teammate.
interview-credit: motorsport.com