Reports suggest that Red Bull’s top brass has made a decision about driver Liam Lawson – after two mediocre Grands Prix in the current Formula 1 season, the New Zealander is said to be immediately replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver has spent over five seasons with the sister team Racing Bulls, formerly AlphaTauri, without moving up to Red Bull. Sponsor Honda is believed to have paid millions to facilitate a driver swap.
According to De Limburger, the Red Bull team leadership held an emergency meeting in Dubai on Tuesday. It was reportedly decided there that it’s ‘game over’ for Liam Lawson, who is to be immediately replaced by Tsunoda. A potential swap, however early it comes, is not entirely unexpected. Lawson did not finish in Melbourne after a late crash and also failed to score points during the GP of China. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda is once again showing promise at Racing Bulls.
Honda’s Role
The choice for Tsunoda, who did not have the support of team boss Christian Horner in 2024, is said to come with additional sponsorship money from Honda, according to the report. It is believed to be an amount of approximately ten million euros. Honda has been a personal sponsor of the Japanese driver for many years and also maintains close ties with Red Bull this season. A similar deal was reportedly on the table last year, but at the time the team expressed its confidence in Liam Lawson.
The Timing of a New Swap Plays a Crucial Role
The timing of a new swap also plays a crucial role. As the collaboration between Honda and Red Bull comes to an end this year, various festivities are planned to commemorate the shared successes of the past seven years. Moreover, Formula 1 will travel to Japan in early April, which is the home race for both Tsunoda and Honda. Therefore, the Japanese auto giant benefits from the 24-year-old driver finally representing the main team.
Experts Question the Timing of the Swap
However, some experts question an early swap between Yuki Tsunoda and Lawson. Admittedly, the New Zealander has so far underperformed, but a sudden swap could also have adverse effects on the sister team, Racing Bulls. “It would destabilize Racing Bulls, which finally has two strong drivers,” Ralf Schumacher previously stated to Sky Sports. “I find that incredible. If I were Tsunoda’s manager, I would advise him not to go to Red Bull. At the moment, he has a better car.” Driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shared a similar opinion in a recent episode of Formula 1 Paddock Talk: “Tsunoda is doing well at Racing Bulls and the car is good. He won’t drive better at Red Bull, rather worse.”
Yuki Tsunoda would replace Liam Lawson at Red Bull with immediate effect.
