Racing team Red Bull is reportedly set to reshuffle its Formula 1 driver lineup, with a potential switch between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda on the cards. The news comes from sources within the paddock who have been speaking to PlanetF1.com.
Lawson’s tenure at Red Bull’s senior team could be short-lived, with the New Zealand racer expected to return to the junior Racing Bulls squad after only two F1 2025 season races. This follows a rocky start for Lawson, who was brought on as Max Verstappen’s partner following Sergio Perez’s departure at the end of the previous year.
The young Kiwi’s promotion was the talk of the town, coming after a mere 11 F1 starts with Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri) over the course of 2023 and 2024. However, Lawson’s performance has been less than stellar, with early eliminations in the qualifying stages in Australia and China marking a disastrous commencement to the season. His Red Bull debut in Melbourne was marred by a crash, and he ended up at the tail end of both the sprint and main races in Shanghai, finishing a disappointing 12th.
As per the sources close to PlanetF1.com, Red Bull’s management is actively contemplating a change in their driver lineup, with Tsunoda being the likely replacement for Lawson. The reports suggest that an official announcement from Red Bull is imminent, likely to be made later this week.
This game-changing decision was apparently made in a high-stakes meeting involving top Red Bull executives in Dubai, home to major shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya. If the rumors are to be believed, Tsunoda will make his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, a home race for the Japanese driver, with Lawson returning to the Racing Bulls team.
The role of Red Bull’s engine partners, Honda, who have backed Tsunoda throughout his racing journey, is also being speculated upon in this potential deal.
This wouldn’t be the first time Red Bull has demoted a driver to its junior team after a lackluster performance. Daniil Kvyat in 2016 and Pierre Gasly in 2019, now with Alpine, have previously faced similar situations.
Tsunoda, who debuted with AlphaTauri back in the 2021 season, has had a shining start to the F1 2025 season, making it to Q3 twice and starting as high as fifth on the grid in Australia. The 24-year-old has been vocal about his desire to join Red Bull’s senior team, asserting during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend that he would be “100 per cent” ready to step into a Red Bull for the Japanese GP.