Red Bull announces driver switch just two races into new season, with Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson

(CNN) — Red Bull announced on Thursday it is shifting its driver rotation around just two races into the new season.

In a statement on its website, the team announced that Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate in the Red Bull cars.

The two drivers will swap roles, with Lawson taking Tsunoda’s place in the Racing Bulls car – Racing Bulls is Red Bull’s developmental team.

“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,” Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner said in a statement. “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.”

Lawson was given the spot alongside Verstappen at Red Bull after impressing during the latter stages of the 2024 season while racing alongside Tsunoda at Racing Bulls.

The decision for Lawson to replace Sergio Pérez at Red Bull came as a surprise to many, with Tsunoda a far more experienced driver as he entered his fifth F1 season while Lawson had just 11 F1 races to his name.

The move has drawn astonishment across social media and motorsport pundits with BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson calling it “quite simply, extraordinary” and “unprecedented.”

But since making the step up, the 23-year-old has struggled mightily. He crashed out of the first race of the season at the Australian Grand Prix before finishing 15th at the Chinese Grand Prix – over 81 seconds behind race-winner Oscar Piastri – although he moved up to 12th following the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly.

Conversely, Tsunoda finished 12th in Australia and 16th in China. Lawson has yet to score a drivers’ championship point through two races while Tsunoda has three to his name.

Now, Tsunoda will line up alongside Verstappen starting at his home race, the Japanese Grand Prix, on April 6. The 24-year-old will be Verstappen’s sixth teammate at Red Bull.

Last season, Tsunoda collected 30 of Racing Bulls’ 46 points, calling it “one of his best” seasons.

Lawson returns to Racing Bulls where he will partner rookie Isack Hadjar.

“We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing! His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational,” Laurent Mekies, team principal of Racing Bulls, said.

“Personally, and collectively, it has been an immense privilege to witness those progresses for all of us in Faenza and in Milton Keynes. Yuki’s energy and positivity has lightened up every corner of our factories and of our garage and he will always be a Racing Bull! We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR.

“Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has. He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a team. With Isack having started so strongly with us already, we know we have a young and strong line-up.”

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