It's been a tough start to life as a Red Bull driver for Liam Lawson.
The New Zealand product has underwhelmed in his first two outings with his new Formula 1 team, with a bold early switch now complete.
Liam Lawson dropped by Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda promoted
After several reports emerged after the Chinese Grand Prix that Red Bull was considering a driver shake-up, the team has officially demoted Lawson.
Yuki Tsunoda has been promoted from Racing Bulls after 89 starts with the 'junior' team.
MORE: F1 2025 standings | F1 2025 schedule
The decision was made following a high-profile meeting in Dubai with Red Bulls' top shareholders.
Lawson was yet to score a point across three races in 2025 – one sprint and two Grands Prix.
The 23-year-old qualified in P18 for the season-opener in Australia before a late crash saw him fail to finish the race.
In China, Lawson came from the back row on the grid to claim a 14th-place result in the sprint.
He was last in qualifying again for the Grand Prix but did move up to P12 by the chequered flag.
As a comparison, Lawson's teammate Max Verstappen finished second in Australia, scored a podium finish in the Shanghai sprint and recorded a P4 result in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Plenty of drivers would stack up poorly against the four-time world champion, but Red Bull seemingly ran out of patience for their new addition.
It is not be the first time we have seen a mid-season move featuring the two Red Bull-owned teams.
Notably, Pierre Gasly was demoted and replaced by Alex Albon in Red Bull's senior team in 2019.
Lawson himself was involved in a similar move, coming in for Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls – Red Bull's 'B' team – late last season.
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The Lawson-Tsunoda swap has been made ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, which is just over one week away.
Not only is Suzuka Tsunoda's home track on the F1 circuit, but it is also the home race of Red Bull's engine supplier, Honda.
It's fair to say the pressure will be on.
Liam Lawson 2025 results
| Grand Prix | Qualifying | Race |
| Australia | 18th | DNF |
| China (Sprint) | 20th | 14th |
| China | 20th | 12th |
Yuki Tsunoda 2025 results
| Grand Prix | Qualifying | Race |
| Australia | 5th | 12th |
| China (Sprint) | 8th | 6th |
| China | 9th | 16th |