In a decision that was as predictable as it was shocking, Red Bull Racing has dropped new driver Liam Lawson in favor of Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The decision, which was first leaked by Dutch media outlets before it was confirmed, is a testament to Red Bull’s cutthroat pursuit of performance and their continued culture of quick driver changes. Following the manner in which they so unceremoniously dropped Daniel Ricciardo from Racing Bulls last year and other drivers before, nobody was surprised at their latest shake-up.
A Brief Chance for Lawson
Liam Lawson, who was promoted to the Red Bull seat at the start of the season, received a baptism of fire. A crash in rainy Australia and a rear-of-the-grid qualifying in his first race in China saw him on thin ice. Red Bull, notorious for its cutthroat driver policies, wasted no time in acting.
Team principal Christian Horner defended the decision, acknowledging the potential in Lawson but admitting he wasn’t realizing the maximum potential from the car Red Bull assumes it has.
Tsunoda on the Rise
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda has been causing ripples at Racing Bulls, scoring early points and showing maturity that questioned many in his early F1 years. His aggressive but calculated driving along with increasing consistency meant that he was a shoe-in to be promoted. Tsunoda’s Honda connections, whereby Honda supplies Red Bull’s engine (at least till the end of the year), cannot be ignored as well. Coming as the Japanese Grand Prix draws near, Tsunoda’s home race, the timing of his move is also strategic on both the performance and publicity sides.
Is the Car the Real Problem?
Although Red Bull’s driver change suggests a performance problem on Lawson’s part, there are some in the paddock who think that the RB21 itself might be a factor. Red Bull’s previous driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez, who himself had problems competing against Max Verstappen when he was there, has already suggested that the car’s setup can make it difficult for other drivers to adapt.
“The car is made in a very specific way,” Pérez has conceded. “If it suits you, it’s ideal. If not, you suffer a lot.”
Other drivers who have been part of Red Bull’s system echo this sentiment. Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from Red Bull in 2018, the team has struggled to find a stable driver pairing. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and even Pérez all faced difficulties in the second Red Bull seat. However, being dropped by Red Bull has not been a career death sentence, like it seemed, for most. Gasly and Albon managed to reinvent themselves starting fresh with new teams, with Gasly winning a race with AlphaTauri and Albon securing a strong midfield role with Williams.
Internal Tensions and the Road Ahead
The decision to push Tsunoda is reported to have created dismay at Red Bull, with some—not least Verstappen—believed to be unhappy with the abrupt change. The Dutchman has long been an advocate of stability within the team, and the sudden exchange of Lawson has led to more questions about the mercilessness of Red Bull’s approach and its effectiveness.
Some drivers believe the high-pressure environment at Red Bull makes it harder for teammates to succeed alongside Verstappen.
“You don’t really get the time to build confidence in the car,” one former Red Bull driver admitted. “Either you adapt instantly, or you’re gone.”
As Tsunoda prepares to occupy one of the most difficult seats in Formula 1, the pressure will be crushing. If he is successful, Red Bull’s call might look like genius move that was long overdue, with Yuki being skipped multiple times while other Red Bull juniors were promoted. If he fails, the whispers of the car’s design being tailored to only one driver will only grow louder. Regardless of Tsunoda’s fate, history shows that being dropped by Red Bull is not necessarily the end of an F1 career—perhaps it’s just the beginning of a new chapter elsewhere.