Yuki Tsunoda to switch Liam Lawson at Pink Bull from Japanese GP

Yuki Tsunoda strikes up from Pink Bull’s second staff, Racing Bulls, in time for his dwelling Japanese GP subsequent week. File
| Picture Credit score: Reuters

Pink Bull dropped Liam Lawson because the teammate of Components 1 champion Max Verstappen after simply two rounds of the season and changed him with Yuki Tsunoda on Thursday (March 27, 2025).

Lawson was given the Pink Bull seat regardless of not having beforehand pushed a full F1 season and struggled instantly. The New Zealander didn’t rating any factors, crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and certified in final place for the Chinese language Grand Prix and its dash race.

Tsunoda strikes up from Pink Bull’s second staff, Racing Bulls, in time for his dwelling Japanese GP subsequent week. Lawson will take Tsunoda’s place at Racing Bulls alongside rookie Isack Hadjar.

The change is an indication of how cut-throat F1 could be and an admission that Pink Bull made the incorrect alternative in choosing Lawson. He accomplished solely 11 profession F1 races earlier than this season and was usually slower than Tsunoda throughout their six races as teammates final yr.

“It has been tough to see Liam wrestle with the (automotive) on the first two races and because of this we’ve collectively taken the choice to make an early change,” Pink Bull staff principal Christian Horner mentioned in a press release.

“We got here into the 2025 season with two ambitions, to retain the world drivers’ championship and to reclaim the world constructors’ title and it is a purely sporting choice.”

Horner acknowledged there was work to be executed with the staff’s RB21 automotive and mentioned Tsunoda’s expertise will show helpful in serving to to develop it.

“We’ve an obligation of care to guard and develop Liam and, collectively, we see that after such a tough begin it is sensible to behave rapidly so Liam can acquire expertise, as he continues his F1 profession with Racing Bulls, an atmosphere and a staff he is aware of very properly,” Horner mentioned.

Changing Lawson so rapidly is in stark distinction to the persistence proven Verstappen’s former teammate Sergio Perez, who was handed a two-year contract extension halfway by way of a disappointing 2024 season. The staff ultimately dropped Perez for Lawson in December after 4 years.

Lawson spoke publicly about his difficulties with the RB21 automotive, saying on Sunday (March 30, 2025) it was “difficult” to drive and had a “very small window” for the setup to be aggressive. That echoed feedback from Perez final yr that the automotive grew to become more and more tough to deal with as Pink Bull’s growth work leaned towards Verstappen’s driving fashion.

The 24-year-old Tsunoda has been in F1 since 2021 with a career-best championship putting of twelfth final yr and has but to complete on the rostrum. He’s beforehand confronted criticism inside the broader Pink Bull operation for a bent to vent his frustrations over the radio throughout races.

Tsunoda’s long-term future is sophisticated by his private backing from Honda, which is being changed as Pink Bull’s engine provider on the finish of the yr forward of a brand new take care of Ford from 2026. Honda will provide Aston Martin subsequent season.

Racing Bulls staff principal Laurent Mekies mentioned he was “extremely proud” of Tsunoda for making the transfer to Pink Bull. “His progress final yr, and extra not too long ago from the very begin of 2025, has been nothing lower than sensational,” he mentioned.

Tsunoda turns into Verstappen’s sixth teammate in 10 seasons with Pink Bull. It’s the primary time that the primary Pink Bull staff has modified drivers midseason since 2019 when Pierre Gasly was dropped for Alex Albon after 12 races.

Verstappen is the one Pink Bull driver to win a race in nearly two years and the one one on the rostrum in almost a yr. He’s scored the entire staff’s factors within the 4 races since Perez positioned tenth in Las Vegas in November.