Two races—that’s all it took for Red Bull to decide that Liam Lawson wasn’t working out. Yuki Tsunoda has been brought in to replace him from the Japanese GP onwards, while the Kiwi driver has been demoted to sister team RB.
It’s a disappointment for Lawson and an exciting opportunity for Tsunoda. But does this move put Tsunoda in a precarious position?
That’s how former F1 TV presenter Will Buxton sees it. While Buxton left F1 TV to switch to IndyCar in 2025, he has continued to keep tabs on the pinnacle of motorsport. And he certainly wasn’t pleased with how Red Bull crushed Lawson’s confidence by dropping him.
“Red Bull’s talk of their ‘duty of care’ is laughable. You either believe in the driver you’ve signed and give them support, or you don’t,” Buxton wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Lawson was spoken of in high regard by Red Bull’s top brass just a few months ago when they decided to replace Sergio Perez with him. This came at a time when critics were questioning his appointment over Tsunoda’s. Red Bull claimed they would support him in his bid to settle in as Max Verstappen’s teammate. But by removing him so early, they showed that they clearly didn’t.
“They’ve played fast and loose with driver careers for decades, but this is a new low. 2 races is insane,” the 44-year-old added.
Buxton was spot on with his assessment of how Red Bull has repeatedly mishandled young drivers’ careers—throwing them in at the deep end too early, only to discard them just as quickly. Just ask Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, two drivers who struggled at Red Bull and were ruthlessly shown the exit door.
So, Tsunoda could also be in trouble. “Good luck Yuki. You’re gonna need it,” Buxton warned.
Red Bull’s talk of their “duty of care” is laughable. You either believe in the driver you’ve signed and give them support, or you don’t. They’ve played fast and loose with driver careers for decades, but this is a new low. 2 races is insane. Good luck Yuki. You’re gonna need it.
— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) March 27, 2025
That second seat at Red Bull has been a merry-go-round for drivers since Daniel Ricciardo left in 2018. No one besides Verstappen has been able to handle the team’s tricky cars. And as Red Bull has increasingly tailored its concept around the Dutchman, the struggles of his teammates have only worsened.
Lawson’s fate is a reflection of this issue, as the RB21 appears to be a difficult car to handle. Even Verstappen has criticized it, suggesting that the Racing Bulls’ car might be faster.
While a two-race stint hardly reflects a driver’s abilities, Red Bull has tried to justify its decision to swap Lawson and Tsunoda. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said, “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.”
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Horner claimed that Red Bull aims to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in 2025, making Lawson’s demotion “purely a sporting decision.” Helmut Marko echoed this sentiment, stating that Lawson struggled under “pressure” and fell into “a negative spiral.”
But what happens if Tsunoda also fails to deliver a significantly better performance than the Kiwi? Red Bull may have shortchanged Lawson before addressing the car’s issues to minimize damage in the championship. It will be interesting to see how they react if Tsunoda struggles just as Lawson did.
