Today, Red Bull has officially announced a big change within its team. Liam Lawson has been moved to the Racing Bulls team, and Yuki Tsunoda will take his place next to Max Verstappen. This change will begin at the Japanese Grand Prix, which is also Tsunoda’s home race.

Lawson had a very tough start to the season. In Australia, he crashed during the race in wet weather, and he missed one of the practice sessions because of a technical issue, which didn't really help him get ready for the weekend.

In China, things got worse when he qualified last in both the sprint and the main race. He did not score any points in either race, and this made Red Bull start to worry. “He wasn’t able to recover in the races and is one of only six drivers without a point on the board,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.

The team decided to make the change after only two races. Lawson is still young and learning. He is 23 years old and had only taken part in 11 races before this season. He had never raced in Australia or China before. The car he was driving, called the RB21, is also hard to handle. Even Max Verstappen has had some problems with it.

On the other hand, Tsunoda has been doing well. He has reached Q3 in both races this year and has already scored three points. He could have scored more, but the team made a mistake with strategy in Australia and he had a broken front wing in China.

“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.

He also explained the team’s two main goals. “We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions, to retain the World Drivers’ Championship and to reclaim the World Constructors’ title and this is a purely sporting decision.

“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.”

Horner also said Red Bull wants to help Lawson grow as a driver. “We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam,” he said, “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 Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.” Even though the decision may seem harsh, Red Bull believes it is the right move for both the team and the driver.