Following his disappointing start to the season, Liam Lawson has lost his drive at Red Bull.
Lawson’s struggles have been clear, struggling with a lack of confidence in his RB21.
His first race in Australia saw him start on the back row, before spinning out in the closing stages of the race.
Senior figures within the team stated that Shanghai would be another difficult weekend for the New Zealander, but few could have predicted his struggles.
Finishing out of the points and down the order in the sprint, he qualified last for Sunday’s race. While Verstappen finished in fourth, Lawson was down in sixteenth.
Noises from the Red Bull camp before the race indicated a driver switch could happen, with Dr Helmut Marko stating Yuki Tsunoda was in “the form of his life”.
Confirmation of the change
Tsunoda, who enjoyed two highly competitive first rounds of 2025, will replace the struggling Lawson in a direct driver swap from the Japanese Grand Prix.
The swap had been touted since Lawson struggled at the opening round in Australia. The Japanese driver was one of the candidates for the seat in the off-season, before Lawson landed the drive.
Lawson meanwhile has demoted back to Racing Bulls, mirroring the fortunes of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. In a statement, Red Bull outlined its decision.
“Red Bull are in the unique position of having four seats on the Formula One grid, across Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. And as such, the Team have made the decision to exercise a driver rotation, that will see Yuki partner current and four-time World Champion, Max Verstappen”.
Christian Horner: Promoting Yuki Tsunoda A ‘sporting decision’
Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal said this was ‘purely a sporting decision.’
“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.”
