Two races into the Formula 1 season, Red Bull Racing confirmed the long-held rumor that Liam Lawson had been fired. Early in the season, the team has shaken up its driver roster by quickly appointing Yuki Tsunoda as his successor.

At next week's Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Tsunoda will replace the struggling New Zealander. As the season picks up steam, Red Bull made the bold choice public in a statement on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Tsunoda is promoted by the Red Bull team and takes his place in the team's top lineup alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Lawson, who played alongside RB the previous season, will rejoin the squad in a driver lineup that has been rearranged.

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, responded to the ruling by saying: “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.”

“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.”

The 23-year-old Lawson, who was acquired from RB during the winter to take Sergio Perez's position, has had a rocky start to the 2025 season and has battled to establish himself.

His position in the starting lineup is under increasing strain because he has not advanced past the opening stage in any of the three qualifying sessions thus far and has not earned a single point.

“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,” Horner added.

With 36 points, Verstappen, who drives the other Red Bull, is in second place in the championship standings, eight points behind McLaren's Lando Norris, who led the field early in the season. The three-time world champion is still within striking distance as the season is just getting started.

Tsunoda, meantime, has proven himself a formidable competitor on the grid by putting in good performances during both race weekends and impressing with his speed and consistency.

He finished in 12th place in Australia and was headed for points in Shanghai, but RB's poorly thought-out two-stop pit plan put him out of the top 10.

Tsunoda became the first Japanese driver to compete in Formula One since Kamui Kobayashi's final season in 2014 when he joined AlphaTauri in 2021. He has now developed a solid reputation by displaying aggressive racecraft and unadulterated speed.

The newest competitor to join Verstappen at Red Bull Racing is Tsunoda. He will take up a position that has witnessed frequent changes in recent years and become Verstappen's fifth partner since Daniel Ricciardo left at the conclusion of 2018.

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