Liam Lawson will be dropped by Red Bull after only two races of the 2025 F1 season – with several reports indicating that Yuki Tsunoda will replace him for his home race in Japan next week.
Lawson endured a Torrid opening two races as the teammate of Max Verstappen: He crashed twice in China from the Season Open Australian GP and qualified last on the just twice.
The letter looked somewhat on the wall on Sunday night when the Red Bull team head, Christian Horner, refused to exclude an early season exchange, with Racing Bulls driver Tsunoda, the obvious candidate to perform.
Now, an initial report in Dutch Outlet de Telegraaf Tsunoda, 24, will indeed exchange places with Lawson for the Grand Prix in Suzuka next week. An official announcement is expected later this week, with details still to be ironed out.
The move would see Lawson fall off the race three to the sister team, racing and partner Isack Hadjar.
Lawson himself admitted in China that he “did not have time” on his side when he turned his form, but it is nevertheless a big shock, just two races in a 24 season.
“There will always be speculation in the road stall,” Horner said when asked if Red Bull could make a change for Japan (April 4-6).
“As I say, we just finished the race here, we take away the information and look closely at it.
“I think everything is pure speculative right now. As I say, we just finished this race, we’re going to take away the information and look at it well. ‘
Lawson was promoted in December to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, with the New Zealander receiving the nod before Tsunoda, despite just 11 Grand Prix.
Horner added that he is “very sorry” for Lawson at the moment, because he is struggling to adapt to the RB21.
“I think Liam still has potential, we don’t realize it right now,” he said.
“I think the problem for him is that he had some difficult weekends and that he has all the media on his back.
‘Of course, the pressure only grows in this business. I feel very sorry for being … You can see that it is very difficult for him right now.
“He is a young man, we have a duty to look after him. We are going to do the best to support him. Liam is still a very capable driver, we know that we just don’t … For whatever reason we are not seeing that he can deliver it at the moment. “
Horner further answered whether Tsunoda, who qualified ninth on the timetable, would be the “Prime candidate” to replace Lawson, replied: ‘I’m not even going to comment on a change because it will be your first heading.
“As I say, we are two races in this championship, we have an example of two [races]. We have quite a bit of information, so we’re going to go away and look at it, work with Liam and do the best we can for him.
‘There’s so much information [available]How he was adapted to drive the car, which he gets out of the car, what we can do to help, where were his most important problems, causing the contradiction … all these problems. “
