Liam Lawson responds to Tsunoda amid Red Bull seat-swap drama
The 2025 Formula 1 season has kicked off with a whirlwind of drama at Red Bull, with Liam Lawson’s bombshell targeting Yuki Tsunoda reigniting the battle for Max Verstappen’s teammate seat. After a dismal start, failing to make it past Q2 in Australia and China, Lawson’s position in the RB21 is under pressure, with rumors of an imminent swap with Racing Bulls star Tsunoda growing louder in the run-up to the Japanese Grand Prix. But the New Zealander refuses to give up, launching a relentless attack on his rival’s credentials while revealing the brutal truth about Red Bull’s troubled beast of a car. Will this be the end of Lawson’s Red Bull dream or a defiant stand that could change his F1 future?
Lawson’s debut season was a nightmare. He crashed out in Melbourne and fell behind in Shanghai, but has yet to score a single point – a stark contrast to Verstappen’s podium-worthy pace. Meanwhile, Tsunoda’s fifth-place finish in Australia and eighth in China have fueled speculation that he is ready to move up a place. Red Bull’s RB21, suited to Verstappen’s sharp driving style, has proved a nightmare for others, with its twitchy rear end and extremely precise performance window. Lawson admits he is struggling, but his latest comments focus attention on Tsunoda’s past. “You can’t have sympathy in this sport,” he said. “I beat him in Formula 3, in Euroformula, in New Zealand. He had his time, now it’s mine.” The defiant statement refers to 2019 and 2020, when Lawson outperformed Tsunoda in the junior series, and his time with Racing Bulls in 2023, where he scored points in Singapore while Tsunoda flopped.
Still, Tsunoda’s resurrection cannot be ignored. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko praised the Japanese driver’s maturity, calling him “a different Yuki” in 2025: top-class and in the form of his life. His confidence is sky-high, and he boldly claims he’s “100% ready” to tame the RB21 in Japan. But Verstappen’s own bombshell adds a twist: “Liam would be faster in the Racing Bulls car. Ours is extremely strong.” The champion’s frustration is palpable: rather than fixing the car, Red Bull is looking for a wonder driver, a strategy he considers flawed. Christian Horner, however, remains cautious and refuses to dismiss Lawson outright. “He has potential,” Horner insisted. “We will support him, he just needs time.”
However, time is a luxury Red Bull can rarely afford. With the team sitting third in the constructors’ standings, reliant solely on Verstappen’s points, the pressure is on. Tsunoda’s home race looms as a potential turning point, but history warns of dangers: drivers like Gasly and Albon crumbled in Verstappen’s shadow. Can Tsunoda flourish where they failed, or will the RB21 devour him too? Lawson’s battle to prove his previous wins were no fluke, but rumors that Franco Colapinto is circling Racing Bulls are causing even more chaos. With Red Bull’s emergency meeting looming, the stakes could not be higher. Will Lawson’s bravado save him, or is Tsunoda about to steal his thunder? The F1 world waits, gripped by this unfolding saga.
