Liam Lawson is reportedly set to be dropped by Red Bull after just two races in the 2025 Formula 1 season, with multiple sources indicating that Yuki Tsunoda will replace him for his home race in Japan next week.

Lawson has endured a difficult start to the season as Max Verstappen’s teammate, having crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and qualified last on the grid in both races, including in China.

Speculation over Lawson’s future intensified on Sunday evening, when Red Bull team principal Christian Horner refused to rule out an early-season driver swap, with Racing Bulls driver Tsunoda viewed as the most likely replacement.

Reports Suggest Tsunoda Will Replace Lawson in Japan

A report from the Dutch outlet De Telegraaf now suggests that Tsunoda, 24, will indeed swap seats with Lawson for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. An official announcement is expected later this week, with final details still to be confirmed.

If the move goes ahead, Lawson will be demoted to Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, where he will partner Isack Hadjar from race three onwards.

Lawson himself acknowledged in China that he was running out of time to turn his form around, but a driver change so early in the 24-race season still comes as a major surprise.

Horner’s Response to Speculation

When asked whether Red Bull could make a change ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix (4-6 April), Horner responded:

"There is always going to be speculation in the paddock. I think, at the moment, everything is purely speculative. As I said, we have just finished this race, and we are going to take the information we have and assess it carefully."

Lawson was promoted to Red Bull’s senior team in December, replacing Sergio Pérez, despite having made just 11 grand prix starts in his career.

Horner: ‘I Feel Very Sorry for Liam’

Speaking in China, Horner admitted that he felt sympathy for Lawson, who has struggled to adapt to the RB21 car:

"I think Liam still has a lot of potential, but at the moment, we are not seeing that come through."

"He has had two really tough weekends, and now he has the entire media spotlight on him. The pressure in this sport only increases over time. I feel very sorry for him, as it is clearly taking a toll on him right now."

"He is still a young driver, and we have a responsibility to support him. We will do everything we can to help him. Liam is a very capable driver, and we know that— but for whatever reason, we are not seeing him perform at the level we expect."

Tsunoda the ‘Prime Candidate’ to Replace Lawson?

Pressed on whether Tsunoda, who qualified ninth but finished outside the points in China, was the leading candidate to replace Lawson, Horner refused to confirm anything, stating:

"I am not even going to comment on a potential driver change, because that would immediately become the headline."

"We are only two races into this championship, and we have a very limited sample size. We have collected a great deal of data, so we will go away, review everything, and work with Liam to do what is best for him."

"There is so much information to analyse— how he is adapting to the car, the feedback he is providing, what adjustments we can make to help him, where his main struggles are, and what is causing the inconsistency. These are all factors we need to consider."