Red Bull may be considering a shake-up in its driver line-up, amid concerns over Liam Lawson’s performance. The New Zealander has faced a challenging start to the 2025 F1 season, with his difficulty adapting to the demanding RB21 becoming increasingly apparent.
Lawson’s struggles were laid bare during the Australian Grand Prix, where he qualified at a disappointing 18th position, only to crash out during the race. His form showed no improvement during the Chinese Grand Prix either, where he found himself at the bottom of the qualification for both the sprint and the main race, managing 14th and 15th place finishes respectively.
Reports from Motorsport.com suggest that Red Bull is contemplating replacing Lawson with the promising Yuki Tsunoda, currently with Racing Bulls, in time for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. The news comes as Lawson openly admitted his struggles to Sky Sports F1, stating, “It’s just really tough, honestly. I think the window’s really small. I mean, that’s known, but honestly, it’s not an excuse.”
His acknowledgment of the situation has only further fueled concerns within the Red Bull camp. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, affirmed Lawson’s sentiment but refrained from commenting on whether Lawson would be given additional time to improve.
In contrast, Yuki Tsunoda has been making waves with his eye-catching performances. The Japanese driver secured a commendable fifth position in the Australian Grand Prix, running sixth until a strategic error by Racing Bulls saw him end up in 12th position. Despite a front wing failure in the main race at the Chinese Grand Prix causing a late pit stop and his subsequent drop to 19th position, Tsunoda’s overall form has not gone unnoticed.
Helmut Marko praised Tsunoda’s growth, telling Motorsport.com, “Yuki is a different Yuki from the years before. He is in the form of his life. Obviously, he changed his management. He has a different approach. He’s more mature. It took a while, but now it looks like it’s working.”
Speculation is rife about Tsunoda’s possible ascension to the Red Bull team, following his strong start to the season. When quizzed about the prospect of racing for Red Bull at his home race in Japan, Tsunoda was enthusiastic, stating, “Japan? Yeah, 100%. I mean, the [Red Bull] car is faster.”
Red Bull’s management is set to deliberate on the matter following the Chinese Grand Prix, as reported by Motorsport.com. The discussions will focus on whether to give Lawson more time to recover his form or to instigate the switch to Tsunoda immediately. A final decision is anticipated to be announced next week.
