Yuki Tsunoda’s Explosive Red Bull Deal Leaked After Lawson’s Chinese GP Nightmare
Shanghai, March 23, 2025 – Formula 1 is abuzz with seismic news: Yuki Tsunoda could be on the verge of a stunning Red Bull Racing promotion, potentially swapping seats with the embattled Liam Lawson as early as the Japanese Grand Prix. The bombshell follows Lawson’s catastrophic start to the 2025 season, with the Kiwi driver floundering in the RB21—culminating in a pointless Chinese Grand Prix weekend despite three rival disqualifications. As Red Bull scrambles to salvage its Constructors’ Championship hopes, an emergency meeting looms in Milton Keynes, and Tsunoda’s long-awaited shot at the big leagues might finally be here. But can the matured Japanese star deliver where Lawson has faltered, or is this a gamble doomed to backfire?
Lawson’s Red Bull tenure has been a disaster from the get-go. Two P20 qualifying finishes, a P18 in Australia, and a failure to reach Q2 in any session so far have left the team reeling. Even with Max Verstappen battling valiantly at the front—keeping Red Bull’s title dreams alive—Lawson’s inability to score points has exposed a gaping chasm in the lineup. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport guru, didn’t mince words: “There’s a meeting in Milton Keynes to discuss how we can close the gap. We’re worried, but we’re not throwing in the towel.” Yet, Lawson’s struggles with the notoriously tricky RB21 have sparked a brutal reality check. Verstappen himself hinted at the car’s unforgiving nature, suggesting Lawson might thrive in Racing Bulls’ easier-to-drive VCARB: “Our car is extremely difficult. The VCARB drivers are close to me—maybe that says something.”
Enter Yuki Tsunoda, the seasoned Racing Bulls ace whose stock is soaring. With a P5 in Melbourne and three points in China’s Sprint race, Tsunoda has outshone Lawson despite strategy blunders from his team. His transformation from the fiery rookie of 2021 into a mature, top-tier talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. Marko gushed, “Yuki’s in the form of his life. He’s changed his management, made a quantum leap, and he’s more mature now—it’s working.” When asked about stepping into the RB21 for Japan, Tsunoda didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, why not? In Japan? 100%. The car’s faster.” A PR handler quickly intervened, but the cat was out of the bag—Tsunoda’s ready, and Red Bull knows it.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Lawson’s promotion over Tsunoda was a bet on untapped potential, fueled by his Super Formula and DTM pedigree. Yet, his 8-0 qualifying edge over Tsunoda last year hasn’t translated to F1 success, and the RB21’s sensitivity—mastered by Verstappen but a nightmare for others—has crushed his confidence. Team principal Christian Horner squirmed under Ted Kravitz’s grilling: “You didn’t pay off Perez for this, did you? The point was a quicker driver—is Lawson just not that?” Horner’s tepid reply—“We’ll have a good look at it”—only fueled the fire. Meanwhile, Tsunoda’s poised to seize his moment, but the pressure’s immense. A flop could see him eyeing Cadillac in 2026, with Honda’s exit from Red Bull leaving his future uncertain.
As Red Bull weighs this seismic swap, the F1 world holds its breath. Can Tsunoda tame the RB21 and close the gap to Verstappen, or will he spiral like Lawson? Japan looms as a make-or-break showdown—and Tsunoda’s career hangs in the balance.
