Red Bull Changes F1 Driver Lineup: Lawson Out, Tsunoda In for Japan

Red Bull has announced a driver change, replacing Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. This decision raises several important questions.

Why the Sudden Swap?

Red Bull states this is a “purely sporting decision” to help them regain the constructors` championship, which McLaren won last year.

Team principal Christian Horner mentioned a “duty of care” for Lawson, suggesting the change is to “protect and develop” him after challenging races in the RB21 car.

• Red Bull claims `duty of care` in Lawson-Tsunoda swap

Despite Red Bull`s reasons, the move is undoubtedly tough for Lawson, especially after he was promoted from the junior team.

Lawson`s performance in his two race weekends in a top car was surprisingly poor.

His qualifying results were 18th, 20th, and 20th – the worst for a Red Bull driver in 20 years. Race results were a retirement (crash) in Australia, 14th in the China Sprint, and 12th in the Chinese GP (after disqualifications of other drivers).

In contrast, Max Verstappen, the world champion, consistently qualified in the top two rows and finished second, third, and fourth in the same car.

Verstappen is close to the top of the Drivers` Championship, but Red Bull is behind McLaren in the constructors` standings due to Lawson`s lack of points, affecting team prize money.

Lawson`s results show he struggled significantly in a car Verstappen performed well in. Lawson himself admitted his pace was “not good enough” after poor qualifying in Shanghai.

Craig Slater from Sky Sports News suggested that removing Lawson from the pressure might benefit him in the long run.

Sources indicate Lawson seemed “frazzled,” “at a loss,” and that it was “too much too soon.”

His qualifying results are far from Red Bull`s usual standards.

Liam Lawson`s Red Bull Performance

Why Not Give Lawson More Time?

This is a key question for Horner. Did Lawson deserve more time to improve, especially since Verstappen acknowledged the car is challenging? Red Bull admitted “there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21.”

Red Bull has a history of mid-season driver changes, but replacing Lawson so early is unusual.

Lawson`s comment about not having “time” to improve, though referring to the season`s pace, turned out to be literally true.

He joined Red Bull with only 11 previous grand prix starts with the junior team. He also lacked experience at the first two circuits this season.

Interestingly, Suzuka is a track Lawson knows from racing in Japan in 2023, and he finished ahead of Tsunoda there in last year`s grand prix when substituting for AlphaTauri.

Bahrain, the next race after Japan, is where Lawson first tested the RB21.

Why Lawson Was Chosen Over Tsunoda Initially?

Red Bull announced Lawson as Verstappen`s teammate in December. It seemed clear Red Bull would replace Sergio Perez, and Lawson was chosen over Tsunoda.

While Red Bull often promotes junior drivers, the choice of Lawson over Tsunoda was debated.

Lawson previously raced in F1 in 2023, substituting for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri. He performed well, scoring points in Singapore and finishing just outside the points twice.

He replaced Ricciardo again for the last six races of 2024 but was out-qualified and scored fewer points than Tsunoda.

However, Red Bull believed Lawson had the mental strength to partner Verstappen.

Lawson`s close performance to Tsunoda suggested potential for growth with more experience.

Why Tsunoda Now and Not Before?

If Tsunoda is now ready, why wasn`t he chosen initially? Is it just Lawson`s struggles, or has Tsunoda`s improved performance changed Red Bull`s view?

Tsunoda had already raced 87 times for Racing Bulls over four seasons, making it unclear what significantly changed in three months to alter perceptions of his abilities.

Tsunoda has started the season strongly with good qualifying and race results for Racing Bulls. Helmut Marko mentioned Tsunoda is “a different Yuki” compared to previous years.

Tsunoda`s Honda connection, which was seen as a disadvantage before, is still present even though Honda is moving to Aston Martin after this season.

Did Red Bull`s reservations about Tsunoda disappear, or were they forced to choose him as the next option?

Horner stated Tsunoda`s experience will help develop the car, implying his experience is better suited to a car that isn`t performing optimally.

What if Tsunoda Doesn`t Perform Better?

This is another question Horner will likely face.

Unlike Lawson, Tsunoda won`t have pre-season testing and will jump straight into driving in Japan. He will have simulator time beforehand.

Despite more F1 experience, Tsunoda is less familiar with the main Red Bull team than Lawson, who was a reserve driver for years.

Lawson has driven more Red Bull cars in tests, while Tsunoda had only one test day in Abu Dhabi, where Horner said he performed well.

Verstappen`s View?

Slater notes Verstappen`s perspective will be interesting – whether he sees it as pragmatic or questions Red Bull`s decision-making.

Verstappen`s Instagram account liked a post criticizing Red Bull`s move and supporting Lawson, suggesting potential disapproval.

The post called the move “bullying or a panic move” and criticized crushing Lawson`s spirit after just two races.

Red Bull claims the change is for Lawson`s “duty of care.”

The post Verstappen liked also encouraged Lawson to “prove them wrong.” It was also liked by Gasly and Piastri.

While the context of Verstappen`s “like” is unclear, he showed support for Lawson during the Chinese GP weekend.

Verstappen said the performance gap between teammates is smaller at other teams, suggesting the Red Bull car is difficult to drive. He believed Lawson would be faster in the Racing Bulls car, which he thinks is easier to drive.

Verstappen cryptically noted Racing Bulls` strong performance and closeness to Red Bull, hinting at the Red Bull car`s difficulty.

Why Not Hire a More Experienced Driver?

Red Bull did – Sergio Perez.

However, Perez`s two-year contract renewal didn`t improve his performance. He struggled and lost confidence, costing Red Bull constructor points.

Red Bull chose Perez over Carlos Sainz, their former junior driver, who was available.

Horner cryptically mentioned “various criteria and dynamics” for this decision.

Re-signing Ricciardo as an option also didn`t work out, as Tsunoda outperformed him before Lawson replaced Ricciardo.

Max Verstappen`s Red Bull Teammates

Why Have Many Drivers Struggled as Verstappen`s Teammate?

Tsunoda will be Verstappen`s sixth teammate in 10 seasons.

After Ricciardo left, Gasly and Albon, despite being promising, lasted only a short time.

Perez worked well initially but struggled from mid-2023 due to the car`s characteristics.

The RB21 car is also difficult for Lawson to handle.

Lawson said driving an F1 car requires full confidence, and he felt he was missing the “window” to perform optimally and needed to “get a handle” on it.

Is Red Bull`s Car Designed Just for Verstappen?

This is a common question, but Red Bull aims to create the fastest car possible. However, McLaren and other rivals have recently caught up after Red Bull`s dominance.

Horner noted Verstappen prefers a car with a “positive front-end” and “sharp turn-in.”

The car`s design may favor Verstappen`s specific driving style, making it challenging for other drivers.