BREAKING NEWS: It's Happening - Lawson OUT / Tsunoda IN!

In a dramatic and unexpected move, Red Bull Racing has reportedly axed Liam Lawson just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season, replacing him with long-serving Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda.

The news, first reported by De Limburger, follows an intense senior management meeting in Dubai involving team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko.

Lawson’s brief stint with the senior team came after much internal debate, with Horner reportedly favoring the young New Zealander over Tsunoda following a strong end to the 2024 season.

However, his performances in 2025 have failed to live up to expectations. After qualifying 18th and crashing out in Australia, Lawson endured a dismal weekend in China, clocking the slowest times in both qualifying sessions and finishing out of the points yet again.

The poor form has proven costly. Red Bull, gunning to stay in the fight for the Constructors' Championship, saw Max Verstappen manage 36 points so far, while Lawson failed to register a single one. Though the RB21 has been tricky to handle—even for Verstappen—Lawson's results were seen as a clear weakness.

Adding intrigue to the decision is Honda’s involvement. The Japanese manufacturer, Red Bull’s power unit partner and long-time backer of Tsunoda, reportedly offered an additional €10 million to secure Yuki a 2025 seat—on top of the €10 million they already pay to Racing Bulls. Initially rebuffed by Horner, this offer seems to have resurfaced and possibly tipped the scales, with Honda said to be willing to pay “several millions” more to place Tsunoda alongside Verstappen.

The timing of the change is telling: Tsunoda will make his Red Bull debut at his home race in Japan, a symbolic and commercially strategic move. While Lawson does have experience at Suzuka and had performed well in Super Formula, Red Bull is prioritizing immediate impact—and Tsunoda’s four years of F1 experience may offer just that.

F1 2025 Drivers and Constructors Standings

This marks a cruel twist of fate for Lawson, who was heralded as Red Bull’s next star after stepping in impressively for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023. His struggles with two unfamiliar circuits, and what appears to be a tricky RB21 car, have now cost him the opportunity he waited years to earn.

Tsunoda, meanwhile, finally gets the call-up he’s long coveted—albeit in a turbulent environment, under intense pressure, and with championship implications hanging in the balance.

All eyes now turn to Suzuka, where Red Bull’s high-stakes gamble will face its first real test.

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