Yuki Tsunoda will now become Max Verstappen’s sixth team-mate at Red Bull when he takes to the grid in the company’s second seat at the Japanese Grand Prix after Liam Lawson was dropped
Yuki Tsunoda may have just secured his spot with Red Bull, but team boss Christian Horner has already laid down the challenge to him. This week saw Tsunoda step up after Horner made the decisive call to cut Liam Lawson from the company’s second seat just two races into the season.
The 24-year-old rising Japanese talent is keen to make an impact, yet he faces the immense task of being a teammate to four-time Champion Max Verstappen – an issue Horner has previously addressed.
“Max is the hardest team-mate in the world to have,” the Red Bull chief once said. His warning comes as Tsunoda gears up to be Verstappen’s SIXTH Red Bull partner.
Lawson’s dismissal follows a tough start with Red Bull. The New-Zealander managed just 18th place in the season starter in Australia and then crashed amid the challenging conditions at Albert Park.
His woes continued in China last weekend, where he qualified last for both the sprint and the grand prix, ending up 14th and 12th respectively, reports the Express.
With an average qualifying gap of 0.88 seconds to Verstappen, the 23-year-old’s performance has been deemed as unacceptable. In a statement, Horner said: “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.”
Lawson has now joined the ranks of Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez as drivers who haven’t quite measured up alongside Verstappen. Perez, the driver replaced by Lawson, didn’t mince words when cautioning any up-and-comer about the challenges of being Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull.
“Being teammates with Max at Red Bull as a young driver, I wouldn’t like to be in those shoes, if I’m honest,” said Perez. “People cannot underestimate the level of challenge that there is in this seat.”
Despite Verstappen clinching the drivers’ title, Red Bull trailed behind McLaren and Ferrari last season, finishing third in the constructor standings.
Horner, addressing the contentious move to drop Lawson after just two races, explained: “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.
“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”.
As Tsunoda gears up for the Japanese Grand Prix on April 6, all eyes will be on him to see if he can handle the pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate—a feat many have found daunting.
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