Lawson Demoted, Tsunoda Promoted: Red Bull’s Latest Driver Swap

Liam Lawson, the driver promoted to Red Bull racing at the end of 2024, has been replaced two races into the 2025 season by Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson will continue driving in Formula 1 with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team alongside rookie Isack Hadjar. 

Lawson had replaced Sergio Perez, who had driven alongside Max Verstappen for four years. However, with two races completed in the 2025 season, Lawson could not provide the expected results. During the Australian Grand Prix, he did not finish due to a crash; during the Chinese Grand Prix, he finished just outside the points in 12th place. In Shanghai, Red Bull Racing’s team principal Christian Horner had clarified, “We have to have two cars in there, and even to compete for the Drivers’, you’ve got to have another car in play. It’s vitally important for the team to ensure that we have both drivers running as close to the front as we can.” Therefore, the team decided to swap the two drivers before the Japanese Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda has raced with the Racing Bulls team for the past four years now and was a candidate to join Red Bull when they were deciding who to replace Perez with. However, Horner decided that Lawson had more potential. Now, Tsunoda has the opportunity to prove himself at Red Bull Racing. Meanwhile, Lawson’s reassignment to RB allows him to regain his confidence and drive in a lower-pressure environment. 

Many fans are upset with this dramatic decision as they feel the rookie should have been given a few more chances to fully immerse himself into the complex car. At the same time, some are excited for Tsunoda to receive this long-awaited chance. However, some believe the second seat at Red Bull is ‘cursed.’ 

Red Bull Racing and its junior team, formerly known as Toro Rosso and now Visa Cash App RB, have a long history of making mid-season driver swaps in pursuit of better results. While some decisions have led to success, others have been more controversial. In 2019, Red Bull demoted Pierre Gasly back to Toro Rosso after just 12 races, replacing him with rookie Alex Albon. While Albon showed promise, he struggled against Verstappen and was eventually replaced by Sergio Perez in 2021. 

This swift driver change highlights Red Bull’s determination to maintain Verstappen’s dominance and reclaim the Constructors’ Championship.