Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion comes ahead of his home race at Suzuka and he is ready to embrace the immense pressure that comes with his big break in Formula 1 that initially seemed to have slipped away.
The Japanese driver’s elevation to the senior team comes at the expense of Liam Lawson whose brief stint alongside Max Verstappen ended after just two races in the 2025 F1 season.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion, made just ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, underscores Red Bull’s brutal and unyielding pursuit to excellence and the immense pressure that comes with driving for one of F1’s most dominant teams.
For Tsunoda, this is a career-defining moment, but it also ushers in a new wave of expectations and scrutiny.
Honda linked to Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion
The decision to replace Lawson with Tsunoda was reportedly finalized during a high-level meeting in Dubai involving Red Bull’s top brass—Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, and Oliver Mintzlaff.
The move was not entirely unexpected given Lawson’s failure to secure points in the opening races of the season. However, the abruptness of the change caught many by surprise including Lawson himself, who learned of his demotion through media reports.
For Red Bull, a team that has consistently set benchmarks in performance patience is often in short supply. The Constructors’ Championship is a critical priority, and every race counts in maintaining their competitive edge.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion is not just a testament to his driving skills but also reflects the strategic interests of Honda, Red Bull’s engine partner.
With Honda set to exit its partnership with Red Bull after 2025 and align with Aston Martin, this move appears to be as much about business as it is about racing.
The timing could not be more symbolic, with the 24-year old making his debut at his home race in Japan. Honda’s involvement in securing this promotion highlights the intricate interplay between corporate interests and sporting decisions in Formula 1.
READ ALSO:
- Liam Lawson sacked by Red Bull after a disappointing two-race stint
- Red Bull’s white livery returns for Japanese Grand Prix
“To be honest, I never expected to be racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix,” Tsunoda said at a Honda event in its Aoyama headquarters.
“I don’t want to create too many expectations, but in Japan I want to conquer the podium. In any case, I know it won’t be easy from the start.
“If I am honest: I never expected to race for Red Bull at Suzuka. Also, this is the last year of collaboration between the team and Honda. So racing with this team is a sign of destiny: all the pieces fit together in the right way to allow me to be here today. It all seemed so unreal to me.
“There are not many moments in life when you have to face such intense pressure, but rarely does such an important opportunity come along. It will be an emotional race.”
Pressure to deliver alongside Verstappen
For Tsunoda, this opportunity represents a significant turnaround in his career trajectory. Since joining Racing Bulls (previously AlphaTauri) in 2021, he has been a polarizing figure on the grid—praised for his aggressive driving style but criticized for inconsistency.
His early years in F1 were marked by flashes of brilliance interspersed with errors that often overshadowed his potential. However, recent seasons have seen him mature as a driver culminating in performances that evidently convinced Red Bull bosses that he was ready for the step up.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion now marks the fifth driver to partner four-time world champion Max Verstappen since 2018—a statistic that underscores how challenging it is to thrive alongside the Dutchman.
This means 24-year-old faces the daunting task of partnering one of the most dominant drivers in F1 history whose relentless pace and ability to extract maximum performance from his car have made him a benchmark against which all teammates are measured.
“Max is definitely the best driver in the world so it’s not easy, obviously, to beat Max,” Tsunoda said. “At the same time, as a driver you have confidence and you always imagine when you’re in the car … you feel always like maybe you can win.
“I’m not expecting it will be easy. … I’ll try to learn as much as I can from him, how he drives and how he’s able to use the car at a high level and hopefully I can be as close as possible to him.”
While Tsunoda brings speed and determination to the table, he will need to adapt quickly to the heightened demands of racing at Red Bull if he hopes to avoid becoming another footnote in Verstappen’s illustrious career.
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson will now return to Racing Bulls—a junior team affiliated with Red Bull—where he will partner rookie Isack Hadjar for the remainder of the season.
