Why is Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull?
A shock early driver change looks set to be made in 2025.
Yuki Tsunoda looks set to replace Liam Lawson as the second driver at Red Bull after just two races of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Tsunoda has impressed at the helm of Racing Bulls – the Red Bull sister team – in the opening races of the campaign.
On the other hand, Lawson has failed to inspire confidence following a retirement and 12th-placed finish so far.
It seems increasingly likely Tsunoda will be promoted to become Max Verstappen's teammate, while Lawson will be demoted to Racing Bulls, where he spent six races at the end of last season alongside Tsunoda.
RadioTimes.com brings you the latest on reports linking Yuki Tsunoda to Liam Lawson's Red Bull driver seat.
Why is Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull?
Driver changes are rare this early in a Formula 1 season, but certainly not unheard of.
Red Bull have pedigree when it comes to making decisive changes. Daniil Kvyat was demoted to Toro Rosso after just four races of the 2016 season to be replaced by an 18-year-old Max Verstappen.
Ultimately, the impending switch is a matter of results, but not just on Sundays.
While Tsunoda's surface-level race results – 12th and 16th – don't look particularly eye-catching, he finished fifth and sixth in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix and Chinese Grand Prix respectively, inserting himself into the mix alongside Verstappen, plus drivers from Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren.
Japanese star Tsunoda was poised to deliver results to match his qualifying performances, but strategy calls in each race, and a front wing issue in Shanghai, saw his efforts go to waste.
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Lawson finished 18th out of 19 drivers to complete a qualifying lap in Australia, and trundled home dead last in China with almost a second gap to Verstappen at the other end of the field in Q1 in Melbourne.
Speaking about Lawson after the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: "I think Liam still has got potential, we’re just not realising that at the moment.
"I think the problem for him is he’s had a couple of really tough weekends and he’s got all the media on his back.
"The pressure just naturally grows in this business. I feel very sorry for him that he’s… you can see it’s very tough on him at the moment."
When asked about Tsunoda as a potential replacement, he added: "I’m not even going to comment on a change, because that will be your first headline."
Tsunoda was less inclined to be cagey when asked whether he'd relish the challenge of stepping into the Red Bull car for his home race in Suzuka: "Yeah, why not. Always. In Japan? Yeah, 100 per cent. I mean, the car is faster.”
In defence of Lawson, seasoned star Sergio Pérez finished eighth in the overall 2024 driver standings, which, combined with a tricky 2025 pre-season, suggests the constructors' recent efforts have yielded a difficult-to-drive car, tailored to Verstappen's driving style, making life tricky for any driver aiming to tame it.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
