Tsunoda to Take Over Lawson's Seat at Red Bull for Japanese Grand Prix

New Delhi, March 27 (NationPress) Following a challenging start to the Formula 1 season, Red Bull has announced that Yuki Tsunoda will take over from Liam Lawson starting at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Lawson faced significant difficulties in the first two races of the season in Melbourne and Shanghai, suffering a DNF in the opener and finishing 12th in the Chinese Grand Prix, especially after the disqualifications of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly. The pressure was increasing on Red Bull to maximize the performance of their second car to assist reigning world champion Max Verstappen in the team standings.

Lawson raced alongside Tsunoda during the final stages of the 2024 season after taking over for Daniel Ricciardo at the then-named RB team, and his performances were sufficient to secure him a spot at Red Bull as Verstappen’s new teammate in 2025 after Sergio Perez’s departure.

Speculations arose quickly that the 23-year-old might be replaced as early as Round 3 in Japan, and it has now been confirmed that Tsunoda will step into Lawson’s position when F1 returns to Suzuka from April 4-6, with Lawson rejoining the Racing Bulls team alongside rookie Isack Hadjar.

Since debuting with the then-named AlphaTauri team in 2021, Tsunoda has shown significant growth as a driver, outscoring recent teammates like Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo.

Tsunoda described the 2024 season as “one of my best” after contributing 30 of his team’s total 46 points for the year.

He made his test debut for Red Bull during the post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, but it was later confirmed that Lawson would be the one replacing Perez at the Milton Keynes-based team in 2025.

Now in his fifth season in Formula 1, Tsunoda expressed that he could “understand” the team’s decision to choose Lawson, stating that he didn’t feel “super angry or disappointed” upon hearing the news.

However, with Lawson’s stint at Red Bull concluding after just two races, Tsunoda is now presented with the opportunity to race alongside Verstappen at the championship-winning team, beginning with his home event at Suzuka.

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls, remarked, “We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing! His progress last year, and more recently at the start of 2025, has been nothing short of sensational.

“It has been a tremendous privilege to witness his growth for all of us in Faenza and Milton Keynes. Yuki’s energy and positivity have brightened every corner of our facilities and he will always remain a Racing Bull! We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR.

“Everyone here at VCARB is excited to work closely with Liam to provide him the best environment to shine in our car and showcase the talent we all know he possesses. He adapted well last year, and we can’t wait to challenge ourselves and evolve as a team. With Isack already showing strong performance with us, we are confident in our young and dynamic lineup.”