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After just two races in the 2025 Formula 1 season, Red Bull Racing has made a bold change to its driver lineup. Yuki Tsunoda has been promoted to replace Liam Lawson, who will return to Racing Bulls after a disappointing start to the season. Tsunoda will debut for Red Bull at his home Grand Prix in Japan, setting his sights on an ambitious podium finish.
Tsunoda Aims to Impress at Suzuka
Tsunoda addressed the media for the first time following the announcement, speaking at a Honda event at their Aoyama headquarters. Expressing his excitement and disbelief at the timing, Tsunoda said:
"To be honest, I never expected to be racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix. Of course, I was happy about joining Red Bull, but when I thought about it carefully, the idea of suddenly racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix felt so unreal."
With this being Red Bull’s final collaboration with Honda at Suzuka, Tsunoda called the moment "fate." Starting next season, Honda will switch allegiance to Aston Martin, while Red Bull will begin developing its own power units in collaboration with Ford.
Podium Ambitions Tempered with Realism
Tsunoda set a clear target for his first race with Red Bull but remained grounded about the challenges ahead.
"I don’t want to raise expectations too much, but for this Japanese Grand Prix, I want to finish on the podium. That said, I know it won’t be easy right from the start."
Tsunoda acknowledged that understanding the RB21 will take time. His focus is on acclimating to the car’s behavior and gradually building confidence from the first practice session.
"My priority is to first understand the car, how it behaves compared to the VCARB. If I can naturally enjoy driving it as I get familiar with it in FP1, then the results will follow. And if that leads to a podium finish, that would be incredible."
RB21 'Not That Challenging,' Says Tsunoda
Despite Red Bull’s reputation for tailoring its cars to suit Max Verstappen's aggressive driving style, Tsunoda’s early impressions of the RB21 have been positive. He spent two days in the simulator preparing for his transition and emerged with confidence.
"I spent about two days in the simulator. From that experience, I didn’t find the car to be that challenging to drive," Tsunoda revealed.
While he acknowledged that his preferred setup would likely differ from Verstappen’s, Tsunoda appeared optimistic about developing his own configuration to maximize performance.
"If you ask whether it felt tricky to handle, I wouldn’t say it gave me a particularly strange feeling, at least in the simulator. Of course, how I want to set up the car is probably different from Max. I want to develop my own car setup, get a good understanding of it, and gradually get up to speed from FP1."
Pressure Mounts, but Tsunoda Welcomes It
Being Verstappen’s teammate has often been described by team principal Christian Horner as "the hardest job in the competition." With such an early season change, the pressure on Tsunoda is immense. However, the Japanese driver took a lighthearted approach to the challenge.
When reminded by the interviewer at Honda’s headquarters that they did not want to add extra pressure, Tsunoda jokingly replied:
"Yes, please pile on the expectations and pressure!"
Red Bull’s Swift Driver Swap: Why Lawson Was Dropped
Liam Lawson’s struggles in the first two races of the season ultimately led to his demotion. He failed to score a point and was eliminated in Q1 on three occasions, including Sprint Qualifying. Despite high hopes after his impressive substitute performances in 2024, Lawson’s inability to match expectations prompted Red Bull’s decision to promote Tsunoda.
Marko: Tsunoda's Promotion Not Optional
Reports later surfaced that Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, made it clear that Tsunoda had little say in the matter.
"Tsunoda had no choice! He was not allowed to opt out of the Red Bull promotion," stated Marko, indicating that the decision was more strategic than voluntary.
How Long Does Tsunoda Have to Prove Himself?
Marko also revealed that Tsunoda’s tenure at Red Bull will be closely monitored, and the Japanese driver has a limited window to prove his worth.
"Big steps in consistency," Marko emphasized, suggesting that Tsunoda needs to demonstrate a steady upward trajectory to retain his seat.
