Yuki Tsunoda in at Red Bull as Liam Lawson demoted to Racing Bulls

Yuki Tsunoda will race for Red Bull from the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix onwards, with Liam Lawson returning to Racing Bulls after a tough start to 2025.

Lawson was promoted to the senior team having contested the final six races of last year for Racing Bulls as Daniel Ricciardo's replacement. The Kiwi racer was preferred as Sergio Perez’s replacement despite Tsunoda having completed four seasons with the squad.

Having qualified 18th in the season-opener Australia, Lawson was plum last in Shanghai qualifying for both the sprint race and the grand prix.

He has started both of his grands prix for Red Bull to date from pitlane, with the 23-year-old rookie crashing out in tricky conditions in Melbourne and finishing 12th in China, benefitting from other cars having issues as well as a trio of disqualifications further up the field.

Immediately after the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was bombarded with questions over whether Tsunoda was being lined up to replace Lawson from his home grand prix at Suzuka. At the time, Horner said Red Bull would look into the data gathered from Lawson’s car and analyse his performance. Now the decision has been taken to bring in Tsunoda.

Motorsport.com understands a key part of the early call was to tap into Tsunoda’s greater experience to help develop the RB21 alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen and that it was a group decision rather than being Horner’s individual choice.

Yuki Tsunoda, taking the Red Bull Racing RB20 for laps during testing after the Abu Dhabi GP, 2024

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and as a result we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” Horner said.

“We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions, to retain the world drivers' championship and to reclaim the world constructors' title and this is a purely sporting decision. We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car. We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.

“We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”

While Tsunoda’s promotion had been widely expected, it was unclear whether Lawson would return to Racing Bulls or be taken out of the firing line altogether.

Franco Colapinto, who raced for Williams for the second half of last season before joining Alpine as a reserve driver for 2025, had been linked with the seat vacated by Tsunoda but ultimately Lawson will get another chance to show what he can do.

The spotlight will be firmly on Tsunoda when he heads to Suzuka next week and will be keen to improve on his best finish in F1 to date — fourth place in Abu Dhabi in his debut season of 2021.