When Yuki Tsunoda was asked at the last race in China whether he would be comfortable stepping up to Red Bull in front of his adoring Japanese fans next week – as outlandish a proposition it seemed at the time – he did not flinch.
“Yeah, why not, 100% per cent,” he said, salivating at the prospect of a shot at the front of the grid. “The car is faster.” And so, in an unprecedented swap just two rounds into a 24-race season, the popular Japanese driver receives a shot at F1’s poisoned chalice: a seat alongside Max Verstappen.
For Liam Lawson, it’s a gut-wrenchingly brutal decision. This is Red Bull’s stereotypical ruthlessness – the same team which axed the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Nyck de Vries in double-quick time – in an impatient, no-holds-barred overdrive. For what it’s worth, Verstappen is said to be unhappy with Red Bull’s decision.
Unequivocally, it had been a torrid start for Kiwi racer Lawson: three-straight Q1 eliminations (the last two in dead-last), a DNF on debut in Australia and a best-finish of 12th overall. Yet his sights were set optimistically on Suzuka; a track he knows well from a season in Japanese Super Formula in 2023. That would be his chance to flourish.
Astonishingly, he won’t receive that opportunity. Instead, he humiliatingly sets a new F1 driver record: the shortest stint in a full-time seat, beating Japan’s Yuji Ide (who had his FIA super licence revoked due to “not understanding how to use the car”) and his four races for Super Aguri in 2006.
Team principal Christian Horner, alongside Red Bull’s leading decision-makers such as the uninhibited driver programme chief Helmut Marko and parent company managing director Oliver Mintzlaff, made the call in Dubai this week.
“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,” Horner said, in a Red Bull statement confirming the news on Thursday morning.
“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 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 Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”
In some ways, it is the right decision – just three months late. Eyebrows were raised when Lawson, with just 11 F1 races to his name spread over two seasons, was promoted to the mothership from junior team RB (now Racing Bulls) instead of Tsunoda, with four years and 87 grands prix in his wing mirror, to replace the stricken Sergio Perez in December.
Food for thought for Perez, incidentally. The Mexican was much maligned for his poor record last year in a title-winning car. Now, he’d be forgiven for slyly chuckling away on a beach in Guadalajara, seeing the mess unfold from afar.
Horner justified Lawson’s promotion last year by emphasising his “racecraft” as a “key strength”, alongside his “versatility”. This time, he has insisted it is about removing Lawson from the lion’s den, as well as trying to extract the maximum from an undoubtedly temperamental RB21 car. A car which is attuned to Verstappen’s unique driving preference of a “pointy” front end, allowing a tendency to oversteer.
Yet Red Bull’s management can frame it how they want – it remains an astonishing U-turn. Lawson did not even have the chance to start a grand prix on the grid, having started both races in Australia and China from the pit lane. Two race weekends is an astoundingly short stint.
The swap has been accelerated by talks with engine partner Honda, who spend €10m a year to have home icon Tsunoda on the F1 grid with Racing Bulls. The Japanese automotive giant will now spend another €10m to have the 24-year-old in at Red Bull but gave Horner an ultimatum: you’ll only receive your cash if Tsunoda is picked for Japan. Clearly, for all parties, the promotional opportunities next week (starting with a four-driver show run in Tokyo on Wednesday) are too good a prospect to pass up.
Is there a route back for Lawson? Perhaps.
Honda’s deal with Red Bull comes to an end at the end of this season, with the engine manufacturer joining forces with the expansive new project at Aston Martin. As such, the murmur in the paddock has long been that Tsunoda could end up in royal green, though more likely as a reserve driver if it was 2026.
Yet if Tsunoda does not meet expectations for the remaining 22 races – or maybe just until Saudi Arabia, in two races’ time – there’s no doubt Lawson could get another shot at the mothership. A lot will hinge on Verstappen’s future too; the Dutchman will be unimpressed by this early season furore, as he eyes a car capable of winning a fifth straight championship. Speculation about a move to Mercedes or Aston Martin will linger so long as unrest permeates at his own team.
It marks a critical juncture for Red Bull, less than a year out from their engine partnership with Ford, forming Red Bull-Ford powertrains. Tsunoda has made no secret of his long-held desire to hold the Red Bull seat, eyeing an opportunity to fight at the front. Now, in unique circumstances, that has come to fruition.
Yet history tells us that the role of Verstappen’s teammate is the toughest spot in Formula One. A string of top drivers, dating back to Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, have been unable to compete with the irrepressible Dutchman. Be careful what you wish for, Yuki.
Kieran Jackson
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