Red Bull Changes Driver Lineup: Tsunoda to Partner Verstappen

Red Bull has confirmed a driver swap, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda exchanging seats starting from the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. The team stated this decision is aimed at fostering Lawson`s development and ensuring his progress.

After participating in just two races, 23-year-old Lawson will return to Racing Bulls. Team principal Christian Horner emphasized a `duty of care` towards Lawson, while Tsunoda is finally getting his opportunity to race alongside Max Verstappen after more than four seasons with Red Bull`s secondary team.

Max Verstappen currently holds the second position in the F1 Drivers` Championship with 45 points. In contrast, Lawson has yet to score any points. This performance gap led Red Bull to implement a driver rotation.

Horner explained, “It has been concerning to see Liam struggling with the RB21 in the initial races. Consequently, we have collectively decided to make this early change.”

“We began the 2025 season with two primary goals: to defend the World Drivers` Championship and to regain the World Constructors` title. This driver change is purely a sporting decision to help achieve those aims.”

Lawson, who will now team up with Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls, was initially chosen over Tsunoda to replace Sergio Perez during the off-season, despite having only competed in 11 F1 race weekends.

Horner pointed to Tsunoda`s greater experience as the reason for this unexpected swap, a move that is quite rare in recent Formula 1 history.

Max Verstappen`s Team-mates at Red Bull

Why Lawson`s Red Bull Stint Started Poorly

Lawson has faced a challenging start to 2025, failing to advance beyond the first qualifying stage in all three sessions and struggling to match Verstappen`s race pace.

He qualified 18th in his Red Bull debut at the Australian Grand Prix and retired from the race after a crash in wet conditions.

During the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Lawson admitted to Sky Sports F1, `I don`t really have time,` after qualifying last for the second consecutive time, while Verstappen secured a spot on the second row.

Red Bull opted to start Lawson from the pit lane in China to significantly alter the car`s setup. However, this change did not yield noticeable improvements.

“The changes made for Sunday in China were intended to make the car easier to handle, but unfortunately, it had the opposite effect, making the car slower,” Lawson explained.

“This is the situation, and I need to understand it.”

Liam Lawson`s Red Bull Results

Is This the Right Move by Red Bull?

Nigel Chiu from Sky Sports comments:

“Red Bull is likely trying to correct an initial misstep by not choosing Tsunoda from the beginning of the year. However, the timing of this sudden swap is debatable.”

“It might have been more reasonable to give Lawson the upcoming races in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia – tracks where he has prior experience – to prove himself before making a change if performance didn`t improve.”

“Lawson`s struggles can be partly attributed to the fact that he had never raced in Australia or China before. The latter was also a Sprint weekend with limited practice time.”

“Red Bull will argue the need for immediate improvement and perhaps believe that things couldn`t worsen by bringing in Tsunoda after just two races.”

“However, the pressure on Tsunoda, especially at his home race in Japan, will be intensified. Suzuka is also a challenging track to adapt to a new car quickly.”

“Red Bull desperately needs Tsunoda to perform well. The question remains, what is Verstappen`s perspective on these changes?”

Red Bull`s History of Driver Demotions

Lawson becomes the fourth driver to be demoted mid-season by Red Bull`s main team, following Christian Klien in 2007, Daniil Kvyat in 2016, and Pierre Gasly in 2019.

Shortest F1 Driver Stints

While unusual, dropping a driver this early in the season is not unprecedented in Formula 1`s history. Yuji Ide holds the record for the shortest stint this century, with his superlicence revoked after four races in 2006. More recently, Nyck de Vries lasted 10 races in 2023 before being replaced. In 2019, Red Bull swapped Pierre Gasly for Alex Albon after 12 races.

Kvyat, who joined Red Bull in 2015, was demoted after four races in 2016. Verstappen took his seat and won his first race with Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Gasly, after his demotion, regained confidence and performed well for the second Red Bull team, even winning the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. He now drives for Alpine.

At Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), Scott Speed and Sebastien Bourdais were also replaced mid-season in the late 2000s. Kvyat returned to Toro Rosso in 2019 after losing his seat in 2017. Nyck de Vries was replaced during the 2023 summer break by Daniel Ricciardo.

Formula 1 is heading to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix on April 4-6.