Red Bull Driver Chaos: Lawson OUT, Tsunoda IN after just 2 weeks
Red Bull demote Liam Lawson to Racing Bulls and Yuki Tsunoda getting the promotion to Red Bull with immediate effect.
The Rise and Immediate Fall of Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson's ascent to Red Bull's senior team was a narrative of promise and potential. The 23-year-old Kiwi had showcased his mettle during his substitute stints for the injured Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, after he got a P9 points finish in only his 3rd Grand Prix weekend, coming in midway through 2024 to replace Ricciardo again to score points in Austin for his first race that season and also be within a 1-2 tenths of Tsunoda in 2024. His promotion to partner Max Verstappen in 2025 was seen as a testament to Red Bull's faith in nurturing young talent.
However, the unforgiving nature of the RB21 and the ever snappy front end of the car, proved to be way too much for Lawson. A challenging debut in Australia where he qualified 18th and crashed in the wet whilst being in the points, marked by a crash and a pit lane start due to setup changes, followed by a 12th-place finish in China, painted a stark picture.
The enormous pace discrepancy between Lawson and Verstappen was extremely alarming, prompting Red Bull to reassess their lineup. Hence emphasizing the point once again that Red Bull’s approach towards their cars are hampering their constructors chances and every driver they put in that team will drown excluding Max Verstappen. Because it’s very apparent it’s not the driver that is the problem… it’s the car and ignorance of management to essentially cultivate talent in the junior team and then send them to slaughter at Red Bull. The blame lies fully in the hands of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
Lawson was very prematurely put into that car given his lack of experience in the sport.
YUKI TSUNODA: Make or Break weekend at his home GP
Yuki Tsunoda's journey has been one of resilience and growth. After honing his skills with Red Bull's junior team, Racing Bulls, the 24-year-old Japanese driver demonstrated consistent improvement and has gone leaps and bounds in maturity ever since 2021. His early-season performances in 2025, including a commendable sixth-place finish in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint and P5 in Australia Qualifying showcases the raw speed he does have.
Red Bull's decision to promote Tsunoda ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix was strategic. His familiarity with the RB21 from post season testing in Abu Dhabi last year, coupled with his experience, put him in a very favorable position to get the immediate promotion. Moreover, the move resonated with Red Bull's partnership with Honda, aligning with mutual aspirations to see a Japanese driver in Red Bull kit at his home country. He will be the talk of the entire weekend, for good or bad depending on how he performs.
The Verstappen Factor and Team Dynamics
Max Verstappen, the four-time World Champion, remains the anchor of Red Bull Racing. His unparalleled skill and adaptability have set a high benchmark for any teammate. The swift replacement of Lawson with Tsunoda underscores Red Bull's commitment to providing Verstappen with a partner capable of contributing significantly to the Constructors' Championship. However, this move wasn't without its internal tensions. Verstappen reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, highlighting the lack of development Liam was being allowed within the team.
Looking Ahead: Challenges and Expectations
As Tsunoda steps into his new role, the spotlight intensifies. The challenges are manifold: adapting swiftly to the RB21, avoid a major pace discrepancy to Verstappen and do better than P20. The upcoming races will be a litmus test for Tsunoda's capabilities and resilience.
For Lawson, the return to Racing Bulls offers a chance to regroup and refine his craft. Formula 1 history is replete with tales of drivers who faced setbacks only to make triumphant comebacks such as Pierre Gasly when he won at Monza 2020 after his demotion to Toro Rosso from Red Bull the year before in 2019. Or Alexander Albon who has lead the Williams outfit to many points scoring finishes ever since 2022 and he’s been proving people wrong in 2025, able to convincingly beat highly regarded Carlos Sainz in the 2 race weekends so far.
Lawson's journey is far from over and a comeback story is certainly on the cards.
Le Petit Prost: ISACK HADJAR
But he will have a challenge on his hands as he goes up against French rookie Isack Hadjar who is dubbed “Le Petit Prost” (The Little Prost). In the two weekends we’ve seen from him, aside from his formation lap crash in Melbourne, he has proven himself to be a potent one lap specialist.
In Melbourne at Round 1, he was the highest placed out of all the rookies in P11, and out qualified Yuki Tsunoda in China. I think Hadjar has been going under the radar even with the stellar performances he’s had in qualifying and the fact he was actually ever so slightly quicker then Yuki in Q1 and Q2 in only his 2nd race weekend as an F1 driver should be a cause for concern. Tsunoda even expressed his surprise at Hadjar’s performance in the post-qualifying interview, impressed with his progress from pre-season testing to now.
Hadjar may cause a lot more problems for Lawson then I think most people are thinking. Hadjar is yet to prove himself in the races but that will come with experience. For Lawson to salvage his career and confidence back, he must beat Hadjar at all costs.
Why not have a look at these posts and see what else went on in 2025!
🛞 F1 starts 2025 with a bang in Australia wet chaos! Lando Norris wins with a spectacular drive
🏁 Oscar Piastri commands from the front to win the Chinese Grand Prix! Shanghai race weekend review