You dont have javascript enabled! Please enable it!

Japanese GP

Formula 1

Where every Red Bull Racing driver finished in their debut race with the team

Admin
on

When Yuki Tsunoda starts the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, he will become the 14th driver to compete for Red Bull Racing in a Formula 1 race. The pressure will be immense not only because he’s suddenly been promoted to the A-team, but add in the fact that he’s replacing Liam Lawson after just two races and that he’s taking the wheel at his home race. In the end, a points result would be satisfactory, but where would it stack up against past Red Bull drivers in their first outing with the team? 

Starting with Red Bull Racing’s inaugural season 20 years ago, in 2005, here’s where the team’s 13 previous drivers placed in their F1 debut — ordered from best to worse (based on finishing position):

Max Verstappen: 1st in the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st Position, and the Red Bull team celebrate his first and record breaking F1 win

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st Position, and the Red Bull team celebrate his first and record breaking F1 win

Photo by: Andrew Hone / Motorsport Images

It should surprise no one that the four-time Formula 1 World Champion won in his very first start with Red Bull. But just to make it even more impressive, it came as part of a mid-season swap with Verstappen replacing Daniil Kvyat. This was the same race where the Silver Arrow war hit a fever pitch with Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg wrecking each other on the opening lap, paving the way for a Red Bull victory. At 18 years and 228 days old, Verstappen also made himself the youngest winner in F1 history.

David Coulthard: 4th in the 2005 Australian Grand Prix

David Coulthard

David Coulthard

Photo by: Red Bull Racing

The veteran driver was part of the original driver lineup for Red Bull in its inaugural season. Coulthard put his decade of F1 experience to good use, just missing out on a podium result in Red Bull’s very first race as an organization. 

Alexander Albon: 5th in the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix

Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing

Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Albon was another driver who joined the primary team mid-season, replacing an underperforming Pierre Gasly. His fifth-place finish was already better than anything Gasly had done in the previous 12 races that year. Albon also had to start deep in the field after the team exceeded its quota for power unit components, and earned itself a penalty — forcing Albon to charge from 17th on the grid.

Christian Klien: 7th in the 2005 Australian Grand Prix

Christian Klien

Christian Klien

Photo by: Red Bull Racing

Klien is a name most modern F1 fans don’t know, but he was partnered with Coulthard as part of the original driver lineup for Red Bull in 2005. The Austrian had a respectable outing, qualifying directly behind his veteran teammate before going on to place seventh in a solid race.

Vitantonio Liuzzi: 8th in the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix

Vitantonio Liuzzi

Vitantonio Liuzzi

Photo by: Red Bull Racing

Liuzzi shared the second Red Bull seat with Klien through the team’s first season, but he ran only four races in total. His best showing came in his first race, qualifying directly behind his veteran teammate Coulthard before marching into a points-paying position on race day.

Daniil Kvyat: 9th in the 2015 Malaysian GP

Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull Racing RB11

Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull Racing RB11

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Kvyat was supposed to make his debut in the season-opener in Melbourne, but a gearbox issue meant he never got to start the race. His actual debut came in the second round of the year at the Malaysian GP, finishing ninth and beating teammate Daniel Ricciardo. However, the junior team with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz beat both of the Red Bull drivers that day.

Pierre Gasly: 11th in the 2019 Australian GP 

Pierre Gasly, Red Bull Racing RB15

Pierre Gasly, Red Bull Racing RB15

Photo by: Erik Junius

Gasly’s short stint with Red Bull started in Australia, like so many others on this list. He started the weekend eliminated in Q1, and while he avoided major drama during the race, he failed to score any points while teammate Max Verstappen secured a podium finish.

Robert Doornbos: 12th in the 2006 Chinese GP

Robert DoornbosRed Bull Raing with damaged front wing at the start of the race

Robert DoornbosRed Bull Raing with damaged front wing at the start of the race

Photo by: Mark Capilitan

A test driver for most of the year, Doornbos got his shot in Shanghai after Klien was sacked by the team. He out-qualified Coulthard, but ended up trailing him by three positions in the GP, finishing one lap behind the race winner.

Sebastian Vettel: 13th (DNF) in the 2009 Australian GP

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber F1.09, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing RB5 Renault

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber F1.09, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing RB5 Renault

Photo by: Scott Wensley

What made Vettel such a unique case was the fact that he had already won a race with Red Bull’s sister team before he ever got a shot with the primary team. Everyone knew he was a special talent after winning a wet-weather race at Monza. And his finish in Australia does not reflect how he ran at all. Vettel qualified 3rd and was competitive throughout the day. However, while battling to the inside of Robert Kubica late in the event, Vettel collided with the side-pod of Kubica’s BMW Sauber, forcing both cars out of the race. They were just over two laps shy of the checkered flag and were fighting for second place on track.

Mark Webber: 13th in the 2007 Australian GP

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing RB3-Renault

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing RB3-Renault

Photo by: John Marsh / Motorsport Images

Webber moved from Williams to Red Bull ahead of the 2007 season and alongside Coulthard, Red Bull had both drivers above the age of 30 on the team in a highly experienced driver lineup. Webber bested Coulthard in both qualifying and the race, placing 13th in the Australian Grand Prix, mirroring Vettel’s final result, but the car didn’t have the speed to run much better at the time.

Liam Lawson: 15th (DNF) in the 2025 Australian GP

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images

While losing the seat after just two races is extremely harsh, Lawson’s first race with Red Bull was among the worst of anyone on this list. He struggled with the car all weekend, qualifying 18th while Verstappen was up in third. The race wasn’t much better, though he did better than some of the other young drivers in the tricky conditions. The high-attrition race saw several retirements with Lawson’s car snapping around on him through Turn 1, hitting the outside wall after completing 46 of 57 laps. He was the sixth and final driver to retire from the race while Verstappen went on to finish second.

Sergio Perez: 18th (DNF) in the 2022 Bahrain GP

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Erik Junius

Perez’s result is a bit misleading, as he was fairly strong throughout the entire race weekend. He qualified fourth and stayed there for most of the race. However, Perez even jumped up into the final podium position after Verstappen suffered a fuel system issue just three laps short of the finish. Shockingly, the same problem struck Perez on the final lap, causing a double DNF.

Daniel Ricciardo: 2nd but DISQUALIFIED in 2014 Australian GP

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, 2nd Position, on the podium with his trophy and champagne

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, 2nd Position, on the podium with his trophy and champagne

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Statistically speaking, Ricciardo’s first start with Red Bull was the ‘worst’ due to suffering a post-race DQ, but in truth, he was one of the most impressive drivers on debut. Ricciardo qualified outside on the front row and held strong throughout the race, scoring a podium in front of his home crowd and placing second to race winner Lewis Hamilton. However, the car was found to be in violation of F1’s technical regulations. Per the 2014 regulations, the fuel could not flow to the engine at a rate of more than 100kg per hour, but Red Bull exceeded this allowance, resulting in disqualification. 

Read Also:

In this article

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Why Red Bull must change its F1 young driver approach

Admin
on

Next up: Yuki Tsunoda.

The Japanese driver has now officially entered Red Bull’s version of Russian roulette, overseen by Helmut Marko. Liam Lawson was the previous name drawn, but his shot at glory quickly turned into a nightmare. His long-awaited promotion alongside Max Verstappen was celebrated off-track, but the moment he hit the tarmac in Bahrain pre-season testing, his dream started to unravel. He had just one-and-a-half days of testing in Sakhir and three free practice sessions in total across Melbourne and Shanghai before the verdict came down – and it wasn’t in his favour.

Alex Albon, who started 26 races alongside Verstappen before being dropped at the end of 2020, perhaps described it best: “It’s like using a computer with the mouse sensitivity turned all the way up.”

The onboard footage says it all. In the limited time he had, Lawson constantly fought the RB21’s twitchy reactions and every attempt to carry speed through corners ended with aggressive corrections and missed apexes. It was a struggle from start to finish.

The reality is, Verstappen has been driving cars built in Milton Keynes for years – often fast but with the balance on a knife-edge. Yet even Verstappen raised a flag in mid-2024, pointing out that since Red Bull responded to McLaren’s growing threat, the car has taken an even more extreme direction and become harder to drive.

For Marko, the previous solution was simple on paper: find another Verstappen. But in truth, Red Bull is chasing a driver who doesn’t exist. And while Marko waits for a miracle, the junior academy continues to train young drivers for a mission with slim chances of success.

For years Verstappen has been the only driver able to get the most out of Red Bull's F1 cars

For years Verstappen has been the only driver able to get the most out of Red Bull’s F1 cars

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

The team now finds itself on a path with two possible exits; discovering a second Verstappen or making a fundamental change in philosophy to once again prioritise drivability. Until one of those paths is taken and successfully realised, Red Bull will continue to race with one car – or, at best, one-and-a-half.

For now, Marko’s vision still dominates but that could change if Verstappen starts pushing back. That scenario is becoming more likely – it’s one thing to grit your teeth while winning, quite another when the rewards start to shrink.

Next weekend, at Honda’s home race, it will be Tsunoda’s turn. The stakes are lower in his case.

Lawson was thrown into the deep end without having raced a full F1 season, and with no prior experience of Melbourne or Shanghai. Tsunoda, on the other hand, has four seasons with Racing Bulls under his belt.

He also knows he’s at a career crossroads – at the end of the year, Honda (his key backer) will part ways with Red Bull. Tsunoda has little to lose. If he clicks with the RB21, it could be a breakthrough. If not, he’ll be replaced.

Lawson’s situation is different. A return to Racing Bulls – a well-worn path – typically signals the beginning of the end, but as the Racing Bulls role becomes more of a holding pattern, it turns into a waiting room for outside opportunities, as has most recently been the case for Pierre Gasly. It’s a shame to see such a talented young driver’s trajectory change so drastically in just three months, but that’s the reality.

Focus will be on Tsunoda's Red Bull debut at Suzuka next weekend

Focus will be on Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut at Suzuka next weekend

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Red Bull, of course, is free to make its own decisions, no one is forced into its junior programme at gunpoint, after all.

But it’s worth reflecting on the fact that Red Bull’s method isn’t the only one that works in Formula 1. On Sunday night, after Oscar Piastri’s win in Shanghai, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spoke about the effort invested in helping the Australian grow following two seasons alongside Lando Norris.

Months of analysis, race reviews, and open discussions about what wasn’t working. At the same venue a year earlier, in 2024, Norris finished second while Piastri came home eighth – more than 40 seconds behind.

“I remember scratching my head and telling Oscar there was a lot to learn from that race,” Stella recalled. “Now I can say that all the work we did together really paid off.”

That, too, is a method that works in modern F1.

Could Red Bull take a lesson from McLaren?

Could Red Bull take a lesson from McLaren?

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

In this article

Roberto Chinchero

Formula 1

Max Verstappen

Yuki Tsunoda

Liam Lawson

Red Bull Racing

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Is it time for Red Bull to change driver approach after Lawson and Tsunoda swap?

Admin
on

Next up: Yuki Tsunoda.

The Japanese driver has now officially entered Red Bull’s version of Russian roulette, overseen by Helmut Marko. Liam Lawson was the previous name drawn, but his shot at glory quickly turned into a nightmare. His long-awaited promotion alongside Max Verstappen was celebrated off-track, but the moment he hit the tarmac in pre-season testing in Bahrain, his dream started to unravel. He had just one-and-a-half days of testing in Sakhir and three free practice sessions in total across Melbourne and Shanghai before the verdict came down – and it wasn’t in his favour.

Alex Albon, who started 26 races alongside Verstappen before being dropped at the end of 2020, perhaps described it best: “It’s like using a computer with the mouse sensitivity turned all the way up.”

The onboard footage says it all. In the limited time he had, Lawson constantly fought the RB21’s twitchy reactions and every attempt to carry speed through corners ended with aggressive corrections and missed apexes. It was a struggle from start to finish.

The reality is, Verstappen has been driving cars built in Milton Keynes for years – often fast but with the balance on a knife-edge. Yet even Verstappen raised a flag in mid-2024, pointing out that since Red Bull responded to McLaren’s growing threat, the car has taken an even more extreme direction and become harder to drive.

For Marko, the previous solution was simple on paper: find another Verstappen. But in truth, Red Bull is chasing a driver who doesn’t exist. And while Marko waits for a miracle, the junior academy continues to train young drivers for a mission with slim chances of success.

For years Verstappen has been the only driver able to get the most out of Red Bull's F1 cars

For years Verstappen has been the only driver able to get the most out of Red Bull’s F1 cars

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

The team now finds itself on a path with two possible exits; discovering a second Verstappen or making a fundamental change in philosophy to once again prioritise drivability. Until one of those paths is taken and successfully realised, Red Bull will continue to race with one car – or, at best, one-and-a-half.

For now, Marko’s vision still dominates but that could change if Verstappen starts pushing back. That scenario is becoming more likely – it’s one thing to grit your teeth while winning, quite another when the rewards start to shrink.

Next weekend, at Honda’s home race, it will be Tsunoda’s turn. The stakes are lower in his case.

Lawson was thrown into the deep end without having raced a full F1 season, and with no prior experience of Melbourne or Shanghai. Tsunoda, on the other hand, has four seasons with Racing Bulls under his belt.

Read Also:

He also knows he’s at a career crossroads – at the end of the year, Honda (his key backer) will part ways with Red Bull. Tsunoda has little to lose. If he clicks with the RB21, it could be a breakthrough. If not, he’ll be replaced.

Lawson’s situation is different. A return to Racing Bulls – a well-worn path – typically signals the beginning of the end, but as the Racing Bulls role becomes more of a holding pattern, it turns into a waiting room for outside opportunities, as has most recently been the case for Pierre Gasly. It’s a shame to see such a talented young driver’s trajectory change so drastically in just three months, but that’s the reality.

Focus will be on Tsunoda's Red Bull debut at Suzuka next weekend

Focus will be on Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut at Suzuka next weekend

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Red Bull, of course, is free to make its own decisions, no one is forced into its junior programme at gunpoint, after all.

But it’s worth reflecting on the fact that Red Bull’s method isn’t the only one that works in Formula 1. On Sunday night, after Oscar Piastri’s win in Shanghai, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spoke about the effort invested in helping the Australian driver grow following two seasons alongside Lando Norris. Months of analysis, race reviews, and open discussions about what wasn’t working. At the same venue a year earlier, in 2024, Norris finished second while Piastri came home eighth – more than 40 seconds behind. “I remember scratching my head and telling Oscar there was a lot to learn from that race,” Stella recalled. “Now I can say that all the work we did together really paid off.”

That, too, is a method that works in modern F1.

Could Red Bull take a lesson from McLaren?

Could Red Bull take a lesson from McLaren?

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

In this article

Roberto Chinchero

Formula 1

Max Verstappen

Liam Lawson

Yuki Tsunoda

Red Bull Racing

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Everything to know about Tsunoda’s F1 career amid the Red Bull driver swap

Admin
on

Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson at Red Bull for the Japanese Grand Prix next week following a spate of poor performances from the New Zealander.

Partnering Max Verstappen is a tricky task on its own, but the RB21 has been prone to unpredictable handling, which has proven difficult for Lawson in the opening two rounds of the season.

The second seat at Red Bull has also been a tough place for other Formula 1 drivers, with the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Daniil Kvyat already falling victim to its so-called ‘curse’ over the past decade. 

Tsunoda, in his fifth year of F1, has spent his entire career at Red Bull’s junior team, and is finally being afforded the opportunity to prove himself alongside a four-time world champion.

Here’s everything to know about him:

The Japan native was born in 2000 and started competing in the JAF Junior Karting Championship aged 10. His career quickly took off after he graduated from Honda’s Suzuka Circuit Racing School in 2016 and made his single-seater debut in Japanese Formula 4. Less than five years later, he was on the F1 grid. 

When Tsunoda arrived in Europe in 2019, he didn’t speak English and had very little knowledge of the circuits on the F1 calendar. However, he quickly got up to speed and impressed Red Bull bosses by finishing third in his only F2 campaign in 2020, having taken three victories. With Honda’s backing, he secured a seat at AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) for the next season.

As a rookie, he struggled with consistency, and his then-team-mate Gasly regularly outperformed him. The Frenchman often qualified in the top six and ended the season ninth in the standings, while Tsunoda finished 14th. He improved the following year but still lagged behind Gasly, as the team struggled throughout the season with an uncompetitive car. 

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

In 2023, Tsunoda consistently outperformed Nyck de Vries, both in qualifying and race pace. The Dutchman was unceremoniously axed after 10 grands prix and replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, whose pace was fairly on-par with Tsunoda. The youngster proved himself in 2024 with strong performances against the veteran Australian, who was once believed to be world champion material, until he was also dumped mid-season. Lawson, who stepped up from his reserve driver role in mid-2024 quickly impressed in the midfield car, often matching Tsunoda’s pace. 

When it came time to replace a flailing Sergio Perez, many were convinced that Tsunoda had earned the Red Bull seat, not only because of his improvement over the previous four seasons, but because he and Lawson were largely like-for-like. However, the Kiwi was promoted ahead of the Japanese.

Tsunoda has since stepped into a team leader role alongside 20-year-old rookie Isack Hadjar. It’s the first time that the 24-year-old has been the clear number one driver at the Italian outfit, and Red Bull bosses seem to have taken notice. Already, he’s scored three points this season, and sits 13th in the drivers’ standings going into Japan. 

Therefore, news that he’d swap places with Lawson at his home race wasn’t all that surprising, given the team’s history of switching drivers and an apparent ‘curse’ placed on the second Red Bull seat after Ricciardo’s departure at the peak of his career in 2018.

At the time, the Australian sought a new challenge at Renault after it became clear that Red Bull was placing its future championship hopes on Verstappen. It’s been a revolving door of drivers ever since. 

Gasly was promoted from Toro Rosso in 2019, but was demoted mid-season. Albon replaced him but struggled with consistency and was well off Verstappen’s pace. Perez, who joined in 2021, helped his team-mate secure his first world title, and won a handful of races. However, the Mexican’s performance quickly dropped off and, by 2024, he was significantly off the pace. Only time will tell if Tsunoda has what it takes to break the curse.

Read Also:

In this article

Emily Selleck

Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda

Red Bull Racing

RB

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

What’s next for Liam Lawson’s F1 career?

Admin
on

Where does Liam Lawson go from here? The 23-year-old was demoted to Red Bull’s Formula 1 “B-team” after just two races behind the wheel of the squad’s tricky RB21.

He will now rejoin the familiar Racing Bulls outfit while Yuki Tsunoda steps up to partner Max Verstappen from F1’s next race on the calendar, the Japanese Grand Prix. It’s rather embarrassing news for the Kiwi, particularly after he was so outspoken about his rivalry with the Japanese driver. 

“You can’t [feel sympathy] in this sport and, if I look back over our career, I was team-mates with him in F3 and I beat him,” Lawson said in an interview with The Telegraph earlier this month. “In Euroformula, I was team-mates with him in New Zealand, and I beat him there. And then in F1 last season, I think honestly, if I look at all the times he got promoted instead of me in those early years, then no. He’s had his time. Now it’s my time.”

Tsunoda and Lawson, who joined the Red Bull junior academy in 2018 and 2019 respectively, are clearly no strangers to going head-to-head. While Lawson outperformed Tsunoda in their early careers, F1 hasn’t quite been the same story. In 2023, when Lawson stepped in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo during five races, he was outqualified by Tsunoda on all bar one occasion, though he managed to finish ahead three times. 

When the pair were team-mates again for six races in 2024, Tsunoda continued to have the upper hand during qualifying. He started every grand prix ahead of Lawson, though the New Zealander was able to come home in front on two occasions. Anyone who’s tuned into an F1 session this year would have seen Lawson was struggling while Tsunoda has come out in good form, most recently securing a sixth-placed finish in the Shanghai sprint race. 

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The key difference there, however, is that Racing Bulls’s car is much easier to drive. Red Bull on the other hand has a car — and a team — built entirely around Verstappen. It’s hardly a framework for success for a second driver. Just ask Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, or Sergio Perez.

No matter which way you look at the situation, it’s a brutal move for the team to dump Lawson after just two poor outings. Some would say it’s not enough time to properly learn the car, and that it fosters a negative environment, while others might tell Lawson he’s simply not good enough. What matters now is how he handles the demotion. 

When he returns to the lower end of the paddock in Suzuka, he can’t be bitter while talking to the media. If he wants to get back to the top end of the grid, that decision will be just as much about on-track performance as internal politics. Should the bosses think Lawson has a good attitude and has been actively working to improve, then there’s a world in which he’ll partner Verstappen at Red Bull again. 

“You’re always being evaluated,” he told Autosport late last year. “Especially in your early years in F1, with the way our contracts are [set up] and the way the teams are judging us — we have performance clauses, so we’re always under pressure. You’re never really safe.”

Even when he secured a full-time drive after Ricciardo was axed, Lawson said he never gets too comfortable: “Last year, I was trying to get a full-time seat. Now, I’ve got a full-time seat, but I’m trying to stay in Formula 1. It’s the same kind of thing. We’re obviously trying to achieve the best results, but I don’t think your mindset really changes.” 

Lawson has also received stick from F1 fans who haven’t quite taken to him the way they did with the quippy, meme-loving Tsunoda. The public perception of him is that he perhaps takes himself too seriously and was too eager to leapfrog Tsunoda to the Red Bull seat. But when was F1 ever about politely sitting on the sidelines? If Lawson wants to win over fans, he’ll need to be respectfully humble and show his willingness to work hard in the face of adversity, beginning in Japan. 

Read Also:

In this article

Emily Selleck

Formula 1

Liam Lawson

Red Bull Racing

RB

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Everything to know about Yuki Tsunoda’s F1 career amid the Red Bull driver swap

Admin
on

Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson at Red Bull for the Japanese Grand Prix next week following poor performances from the New Zealand driver. Partnering Max Verstappen is a tricky task on its own, but the RB21 has been prone to unpredictable handling, which has proved difficult for Lawson in the opening two rounds of the season. The second seat at Red Bull has also been a tough place for other F1 drivers, with the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo already falling victim to its so-called ‘curse’ over the past decade. 

Tsunoda, in his fifth year of F1, has spent his entire career at Red Bull’s junior team, and is finally being afforded the opportunity to prove himself alongside a four-time world champion. Here’s everything to know about him. 

The Japan native was born in 2000 and started competing in the JAF Junior Karting Championship at age 10. His career quickly took off after he graduated from Honda’s Suzuka Circuit Racing School in 2016 and made his single-seater debut in Japanese Formula 4. Less than five years later, he would find himself on the F1 grid. 

When Tsunoda arrived in Europe in 2019, he didn’t speak English and had very little knowledge of the circuits on the F1 calendar. However, he quickly got up to speed and impressed Red Bull bosses with a phenomenal Formula 2 campaign that saw him finish third in the championship, with three victories along the way. With Honda’s backing, he secured a seat at Alpha Tauri (now Racing Bulls) in 2021.

As a rookie, he struggled with consistency, and his then-team-mate Gasly regularly out-performed him. The Frenchman often qualified in the top six and ended the season in ninth, while Tsunoda finished 14th in the championship. He improved the following year but still lagged behind Gasly, as the team struggled throughout the season with an uncompetitive car. 

Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

In 2023, Tsunoda consistently outperformed Nyck De Vries, both in qualifying and race pace. The Dutch driver was unceremoniously axed after 10 races and replaced by Ricciardo, whose pace was fairly on-par with Tsunoda. The youngster proved himself with strong performances against the veteran Australian, who was once believed to be world champion material, until he was also dumped mid-season in 2024. Lawson, who stepped up from his reserve driver role when Ricciardo was dropped, quickly impressed in the midfield car often matching Tsunoda’s pace. 

When it came time to replace a flailing Sergio Perez, viewers were convinced that Tsunoda had earned the Red Bull seat, not only because of his improvement over the previous four seasons, but because he and Lawson were largely like-for-like. However, the Kiwi was promoted ahead of him, seeming to indicate that the energy drinks company sees Lawson as its future.

Tsunoda has since stepped into a team leader role alongside 20-year-old rookie Isack Hadjar. It’s the first time that the 24-year-old has been the clear number one driver at the Italian outfit, and Red Bull higher-ups seem to have taken notice. Already, he’s scored three points this season, and sits 13th in the drivers’ standings going into Japan.  So, news that he’d swap places with Lawson at his home race wasn’t all that surprising, given the team’s history of switching drivers and an apparent ‘curse’ placed on the second Red Bull seat after Ricciardo’s departure at the peak of his career in 2018, seeking a new challenge at Renault after it became clear that the team was placing its future championship hopes on Verstappen. It’s been a revolving door of drivers ever since. 

Gasly was promoted from Toro Rosso in 2019, but was demoted mid-season. Albon replaced him but struggled with consistency and was well off Verstappen’s pace. Perez, who joined in 2021, helped his team-mate secure his first world title, and won a handful of races. However, the Mexican’s performance quickly dropped off, and by 2024, he was significantly off the pace. Only time will tell if Tsunoda has what it takes to break the curse. 

In this article

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Onto Liam Lawson’s next lesson from Red Bull’s school of hard knocks

Admin
on

Where does Liam Lawson go from here? The 23-year-old was demoted to the “B-team” after just two races behind the wheel of Red Bull’s tricky RB21. At least it’s not a total wash, as he steps back to rejoin the familiar Racing Bulls outfit while Yuki Tsunoda steps up to partner Max Verstappen at F1’s next race on the calendar, the Japanese Grand Prix. It’s rather embarrassing news for the Kiwi, particularly after he was so outspoken about his rivalry with the Japanese driver. 

“You can’t [feel sympathy] in this sport, and if I look back over our career, I was team-mates with him in F3 and I beat him. In Euroformula I was team-mates with him in New Zealand, and I beat him there,” Lawson said in an interview with The Telegraph earlier this month. “And then in F1 last season, I think honestly, if I look at all the times he got promoted instead of me in those early years, then no. He’s had his time. Now it’s my time.”

Tsunoda and Lawson, who joined the Red Bull junior academy in 2018 and 2019 respectively, are clearly no strangers to going head-to-head. While Lawson outperformed Tsunoda in their early careers, F1 hasn’t quite been the same story. In 2023, when Lawson stepped in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo during five races, he was out-qualified by Tsunoda on four out of five occasions, though he managed to finish ahead three times.

When the pair were team-mates again for six races in 2024, Tsunoda continued to have the upper hand during qualifying. He started every grand prix ahead of Lawson, though the New Zealander was able to come home in front on two occasions. Anyone who’s tuned into an F1 session this year would have seen Lawson was struggling while Tsunoda has come out in good form, most recently securing a sixth finish in the Shanghai sprint race. 

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The key difference there, however, is that RB’s car is much easier to drive. Red Bull on the other hand has a car — and a team — built entirely around Verstappen. It’s hardly a framework for success for a second driver. Just ask Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, or Sergio Perez.

No matter which way you look at the situation, it isn’t entirely fair for the team to dump Lawson after just two poor outings. Some would say it’s not enough time to properly learn the car, and that it fosters a negative environment, while others might tell Lawson he’s simply not good enough. What matters now is how he handles the demotion. 

When he returns to the lower end of the paddock in Suzuka, he can’t be bitter while talking to the media. If he wants to get back to the top end of the grid, that decision will be just as much about on-track performance as internal politics. Should the higher-ups think Lawson has a good attitude and has been actively working to improve, then there’s a world in which he’ll partner Verstappen at Red Bull again. 

“You’re always being evaluated,” he told Motorsport.com late last year. “Especially in your early years in F1, with the way our contracts are [set up] and the way the teams are judging us — we have performance clauses, so we’re always under pressure. You’re never really safe.” Even when he secured a full-time drive after Ricciardo was axed, Lawson said he never gets too comfortable: “Last year, I was trying to get a full-time seat. Now, I’ve got a full-time seat, but I’m trying to stay in Formula 1. It’s the same kind of thing. We’re obviously trying to achieve the best results, but I don’t think your mindset really changes.” 

Lawson has also been given the short end of the stick from F1 fans who haven’t quite taken to him the way they did with the quippy, meme-loving Tsunoda. The public perception of him is that he perhaps takes himself too seriously and was too eager to leapfrog Tsunoda to the Red Bull seat. But when was F1 ever about politely sitting on the sidelines? If Lawson wants to win over fans, he’ll need to be respectfully humble and show his willingness to work hard in the face of adversity beginning in Japan. 

Read Also:

In this article

Emily Selleck

Formula 1

Liam Lawson

Red Bull Racing

Racing Bulls

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Red Bull announces Tsunoda will replace Lawson from Japanese GP

Admin
on

Yuki Tsunoda will race for Red Bull from the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix onwards with Liam Lawson returning to Racing Bulls after a tough start to 2025.

Lawson was promoted to the senior team having contested the final six races of last season for Racing Bulls in place of Daniel Ricciardo. The Kiwi racer was then preferred as Sergio Perez’s Red Bull replacement despite Tsunoda having completed four seasons with the sister squad.

Having qualified 18th in the Australia season-opener, Lawson was plum last in Shanghai qualifying for both the sprint race and the grand prix.

He has started both of his grands prix for Red Bull to date from the pitlane, with the 23-year-old rookie crashing out in tricky conditions in Melbourne and finishing 12th in China, benefitting from other cars having issues as well as a trio of disqualifications further up the field.

As reported by Autosport, the prospect of Tsunoda being lined up to replace Lawson from his home grand prix at Suzuka materialised immediately after the Chinese race.

At the time, team boss Christian Horner said Red Bull would look into the data gathered from Lawson’s car and analyse his performance. Now the decision has been taken to bring in Tsunoda.

Yuki Tsunoda, taking the Red Bull Racing RB20 for laps during testing after the Abu Dhabi GP, 2024

Yuki Tsunoda, taking the Red Bull Racing RB20 for laps during testing after the Abu Dhabi GP, 2024

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Autosport understands a key part of the early call was to tap into Tsunoda’s greater experience to help develop the RB21 alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen and that it was a group decision rather than being Horner’s individual choice.

“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.

“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.

“We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.

“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 Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”

While Tsunoda’s promotion had been widely expected, it was unclear whether Lawson would return to Racing Bulls or be taken out of the firing line altogether.

Franco Colapinto, who raced for Williams for the second half of last season before joining Alpine as a reserve driver for 2025, had been linked with the seat vacated by Tsunoda but ultimately Lawson will get another chance to show what he can do.

The spotlight will be firmly on Tsunoda when he heads to Suzuka next week and he will be keen to improve on his best finish in F1 to date — fourth place in Abu Dhabi in his debut season of 2021.

Read Also:

In this article

Mark Mann-Bryans

Formula 1

Liam Lawson

Yuki Tsunoda

Red Bull Racing

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda in at Red Bull as Liam Lawson demoted to Racing Bulls

Admin
on

Yuki Tsunoda will race for Red Bull from the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix onwards, with Liam Lawson returning to Racing Bulls after a tough start to 2025.

Lawson was promoted to the senior team having contested the final six races of last year for Racing Bulls as Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement. The Kiwi racer was preferred as Sergio Perez’s replacement despite Tsunoda having completed four seasons with the squad.

Having qualified 18th in the season-opener Australia, Lawson was plum last in Shanghai qualifying for both the sprint race and the grand prix.

He has started both of his grands prix for Red Bull to date from pitlane, with the 23-year-old rookie crashing out in tricky conditions in Melbourne and finishing 12th in China, benefitting from other cars having issues as well as a trio of disqualifications further up the field.

Immediately after the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was bombarded with questions over whether Tsunoda was being lined up to replace Lawson from his home grand prix at Suzuka. At the time, Horner said Red Bull would look into the data gathered from Lawson’s car and analyse his performance. Now the decision has been taken to bring in Tsunoda.

Motorsport.com understands a key part of the early call was to tap into Tsunoda’s greater experience to help develop the RB21 alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen and that it was a group decision rather than being Horner’s individual choice.

Yuki Tsunoda, taking the Red Bull Racing RB20 for laps during testing after the Abu Dhabi GP, 2024

Yuki Tsunoda, taking the Red Bull Racing RB20 for laps during testing after the Abu Dhabi GP, 2024

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“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.

“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. We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.

“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 Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”

While Tsunoda’s promotion had been widely expected, it was unclear whether Lawson would return to Racing Bulls or be taken out of the firing line altogether.

Franco Colapinto, who raced for Williams for the second half of last season before joining Alpine as a reserve driver for 2025, had been linked with the seat vacated by Tsunoda but ultimately Lawson will get another chance to show what he can do.

The spotlight will be firmly on Tsunoda when he heads to Suzuka next week and will be keen to improve on his best finish in F1 to date — fourth place in Abu Dhabi in his debut season of 2021.

Read Also:

In this article

Mark Mann-Bryans

Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda

Liam Lawson

Red Bull Racing

Racing Bulls

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics

Formula 1

Is Red Bull right to replace Lawson with Tsunoda after just two races?

Admin
on

The change is all but confirmed. As Autosport revealed on Sunday, Red Bull began considering a change to its driver line-up even before the Shanghai race – with Yuki Tsunoda emerging as the frontrunner to replace the struggling Liam Lawson. Discussions have since progressed following meetings in recent days, with the move now all but guaranteed – the official announcement is now expected by the end of this week.

But is it right to take such a step just two races into the season? Our writers from the international editions of sister title Motorsport.com have their say.

“For Tsunoda, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime” Ken Tanaka, Motorsport.com Japan

It’s hard to say whether Red Bull’s decision to replace Lawson after just two races and bring in Tsunoda is the right one for the team.

But for Tsunoda himself it is the opportunity of a lifetime. He’s about to step into a top team car, something that not many drivers in F1 get to experience. Yes, it may be a difficult car to drive, but Verstappen has proven that results can still be delivered.

There will be no excuses. If the team chooses him as their new driver, Tsunoda will have to deliver results with this car. More than that, he must deliver.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

This is also a long-held dream for Japanese F1 fans. Many Japanese drivers have competed in F1 over the years, but none have ever had the opportunity to drive for a top team. Now that it looks like that chance has finally arrived, Tsunoda will have to make the most of it.

His nation will want to see the Japanese flag on the podium – and in the middle of it. And if that day comes, tears of joy will be shed by many Japanese F1 fans around the world.

Tsunoda, we’re counting on you now.

“The main problem at Red Bull is the car, not the driver” Ronald Vording, Motorsport.com Netherlands

Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Pérez and Liam Lawson: the list of team-mates who couldn’t keep up with Max Verstappen in the seat next to him keeps growing. For Red Bull to add Lawson to the list after just two Grands Prix feels harsh, but the signals were clear in the Shanghai paddock – one of them being Christian Horner saying the team didn’t need to wait for tracks Lawson was familiar with.

The real problem for Red Bull, however, is the car. The RB21 is (again) difficult to drive, especially for a driver who doesn’t have the same driving style as Verstappen. Add to that the fact that it’s extremely difficult to match Verstappen’s sheer pace in a similar car, and you know it’s the toughest seat in F1 right now.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

The promotion of Tsunoda makes sense for two reasons. Firstly, the Japanese driver couldn’t have done more to earn the promotion and secondly, the fact that Honda are reportedly paying for it makes this move even more interesting from a financial perspective. It’s also a nice way to end the Red Bull-Honda partnership in 2025, but none of that takes away from the most likely outcome: adding another name to the list in a few months’ time…

“Correcting one mistake with another might be the only option left” Oleg Karpov, Motorsport.com International Editor

Christian Horner talked about data on Sunday evening in Shanghai, when he spoke to the media after the race. Liam Lawson’s fate had almost been decided by then, with sources suggesting that the option of swapping him for Yuki Tsunoda had been seriously considered even before the start of the race. Lawson could have bought himself more time with a miraculous performance on Sunday afternoon – but instead he still struggled to find the pace.

It seems that swapping them now is something like correcting one mistake with another. After all, the logic of Red Bull’s decision to promote Lawson instead of Tsunoda over the winter wasn’t really clear – with the New Zealander having only 11 F1 races under his belt. But Horner took the risk anyway, hoping that Liam’s natural ability to withstand pressure will be a massive help. Now it seems experience may have helped too.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Putting Tsunoda in the car now – without testing, with almost no lead time, and for his home race, which comes with added pressure – isn’t ideal. He’ll inevitably struggle, like all of Max Verstappen’s previous teammates. But at the same time, Red Bull has no other option. If the data shows that Lawson is simply too far away, and if the engineers see that he’s going to take forever to get to grips with the RB21, then there’s no point in waiting any longer. If they do it now, they have to be convinced that Lawson simply won’t be able to improve any time soon. Bringing in Tsunoda is also a risk. But it might be the only option in hope of a quick improvement. And if Red Bull still doesn’t want to give up on a constructors’ championship, they should act fast.

It is tough for Lawson, no doubt. But he knew what he signed up for.

“Brutal for Lawson, but Red Bull must act to deliver fifth title for Max” Christian Nimmervoll, Motorsport.com Germany

It is very harsh on Lawson. To not give him a chance to bounce back at least in Suzuka, on the track he knows and has been successful on in the past, is really brutal. He could have hoped to do better and still convince the Red Bull bosses that he’s the one they can rely on for the future. But F1 is a complex business and what I hear now is that Honda are increasing the pressure on Red Bull, offering a substantial backing for Tsunoda – and that could have been the factor that tipped the scales in Yuki’s favour.

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Of course, he’s done a brilliant job not only at the start of this year, but also for the most part over the last couple of seasons – but it’s going to be an immense task for him. I agree with Ralf Schumacher who says that it’s too risky for Tsunoda to go to Red Bull now – and he has more to lose than to gain from the move, as he hasn’t tested with RB21 and will be asked to perform immediately. However, the Red Bull bosses are free to do whatever they want with their drivers – Max Verstappen probably excluded – and move them between teams, so even if Tsunoda had wanted to stay at Racing Bulls, he simply doesn’t have a say in the matter.

But Red Bull have to do something if they want to save 2025 – and deliver another title, if not in the constructors’ championship, but a fifth for Verstappen. It’s a dream for Helmut Marko – and he told me about it yesterday – to get that fifth title with Max, something Red Bull couldn’t do with Sebastian Vettel. They need a second driver to help Verstappen, and it may be clear to the team bosses by now that that driver isn’t Lawson. Tsunoda will be under enormous pressure, but now he’s got no choice but to try and deliver.

“A decision made with the same level of certainty as a bet in the casino” Roberto Chinchero, Motorsport.com Italy

Red Bull is at a crossroads, with two scenarios on the horizon: the team must either find a new Verstappen – or drastically change the direction of designing its cars, bringing the “drivability” parameter back among the engineers’ objectives.

Until one of these two solutions materializes, Red Bull will continue to race effectively with one car – or, at best, with one and a half. For now, it looks like Marko’s vision is prevailing: and the team continues to search for a driver who’s capable of handling the RB21 in at least a decent way.

Isack Hadjar, RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Isack Hadjar, RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Lawson was judged not up to the task after driving the car for one and a half days at the Bahrain test and three practice sessions between Melbourne and Shanghai, tracks he had never previously raced on. But as is often the case with Red Bull, there is no time or patience to try and understand the problems. The extreme solution is simpler and quicker: Lawson out, Tsunoda in. A decision made with the same level of certainty as a bet in the casino. It might work. It might not work… who knows.

Good luck to Yuki. He will need it.

In this article

Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda

Liam Lawson

Red Bull Racing

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics