Red Bull are set to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda after just two races in the 2025 Formula 1 season, with the announcement expected within the next 48 hours.
The decision was reached by Red Bull bosses, including team principal Christian Horner, at a meeting in Dubai on Monday.
The dramatic early-season driver change will see Japanese driver Tsunoda promoted from Racing Bulls to partner Max Verstappen at his home race in Suzuka a week on Sunday.
Red Bull have refused to comment on the move.
Liam Lawson has had a tough time this season after two races for Red Bull
Reuters
Lawson's time at Red Bull has been disastrous from the start, with the New Zealander qualifying 18th at the opening race in Australia before crashing out in wet conditions.
In China last weekend, his performance deteriorated further as he qualified last for both the sprint and the grand prix.
He finished 14th in the sprint and 12th in the main race, a full 81 seconds behind winner Oscar Piastri.
His average qualifying deficit to teammate Verstappen has been a substantial 0.88 seconds across the two race weekends.
Red Bull had initially chosen Lawson over Tsunoda despite the Japanese driver having raced for the company since 2021.
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The team believed Tsunoda lacked the mental toughness to survive alongside Verstappen, while Lawson was thought to have more potential to improve.
When asked in China if he would accept a promotion to Red Bull, Tsunoda responded: "Yeah, why not? Always. In Japan? Yeah, 100%. I mean, the car is faster."
Lawson had retorted: "I've raced him for years, raced him in junior categories and beat him - and I did in F1 as well, so he can say whatever he wants."
Lawson will now return to Racing Bulls, where he will partner French rookie Isack Hadjar.
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Yuki Tsunoda is set to replace Liam Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix
Reuters
The decision to drop Lawson comes despite Verstappen reportedly believing the move is an error.
According to insiders, the four-time world champion feels the problem lies with Red Bull's car rather than the second driver.
Verstappen, who has reportedly already bid farewell to his team, has publicly stated the 2025 Red Bull is only the fourth quickest car on the grid, behind McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.
The car continues to suffer from balance problems that hampered the team throughout much of last season.
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GETTYLawson had previously completed just 11 grands prix split over two seasons, scoring points with ninth-place finishes in Singapore, the US and São Paulo.
Tsunoda has consistently outperformed Lawson when they've raced together, out-qualifying him four times to two in 2023 and seven times to two in 2024.
The promotion represents a significant opportunity for Tsunoda, who will become the first Japanese driver to race for Red Bull's senior team.
Red Bull's decision comes as they struggle to maintain their dominance, with Verstappen taking just two wins from his past 16 appearances.
