Red Bull is reportedly weighing up a driver change that could see Liam Lawson replaced by Yuki Tsunoda as early as the Japanese Grand Prix in April.
According to Motorsport.com, internal discussions have begun around a potential swap between the senior team and its junior outfit, Racing Bulls, amid Lawson’s underwhelming start to the 2025 Formula One season.
Lawson has struggled to find form in the RB21 F1 car. After qualifying 18th in Australia and crashing out on lap 46, the 23-year-old Kiwi driver endured an even tougher weekend in China. He qualified last for both the sprint and main race, finishing 14th and 15th, respectively. The performance gap to ace teammate Max Verstappen approached a paltry second per lap.
"It's just really tough, honestly," Lawson told Sky Sports F1. “I think the window's really small – I mean, that's known - but honestly, it's not an excuse.” On where he needs to improve, he was blunt: “It's just time. Unfortunately, I don't really have time.”
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko agreed with Lawson’s assessment. "He is right," Marko said, when asked whether Lawson lacked time to adapt. But that acknowledgment appears to have done little to calm speculation of an imminent switch.
Tsunoda impresses with maturity and pace
Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, has started the season with renewed consistency. After qualifying fifth in Melbourne and running strongly in sixth before strategy cost him points, he continued his form in Shanghai with a combative sixth-place finish in the sprint, holding off Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes.
A late front wing failure derailed his main race, but his pace impressed Red Bull. “Yuki is a different Yuki from the years before,” said Marko. “He is in the form of his life… he’s more mature. It took a while, but now it looks like it’s working.”
Tsunoda has not dismissed a mid-season move, telling media: “Japan? Yeah, 100%. I mean, the [Red Bull] car is faster.”
Decision pending
No decision has been finalised, but the timing of a potential swap - just ahead of Tsunoda’s home race - has sharpened the focus on Lawson’s position.
Red Bull is expected to review the situation in the days following Shanghai, with a verdict likely before the Japanese Grand Prix.
However, Suzuka isn’t unfamiliar territory for Lawson. He raced there twice in Super Formula two years ago, winning spectacularly on debut and finishing second in the season finale. That experience may not be overlooked if Red Bull opts to give him one more shot.
If granted a reprieve, Suzuka may offer Lawson his best opportunity yet to turn things around. But if the pace deficit persists, Red Bull may not wait much longer to act.