Future Ford F1 Team Red Bull Racing Swaps Out Yet Another Driver

Red Bull Racing (RBR), future Ford F1 partner, has replaced driver Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda. The driver swap is effective immediately, with Tsunoda taking control of RBR machinery from the Japanese Grand Prix onward.

New Zealand native Lawson has raced with Tsunoda in the past as part of the Racing Bulls, RBR’s satellite team, after Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo. He was promoted to RBR and raced alongside Max Verstappen in 2025, replacing Sergio Perez. According to a report from Formula1.com, Lawson failed to deliver the results expected of RBR caliber racers, struggling with the RB21 race car at the Australian and Chinese Grand Prix events. He crashed out at Australia and was credited with a 12^th-place finish in China after penalties were assessed to other drivers.

“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,” said Christian Horner, RBR Team Principal and CEO. “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.”

He added, “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. We welcome him to the Team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.”

At Racing Bulls, Lawson will race alongside rookie Isack Hadjar. Tsunoda, meanwhile, is currently in his fifth season in F1 and tested for RBR in Abu Dhabi. Lawson recently dropped by Ford Performance to check out the NASCAR side of motorsports – and while there’s no plans for him to switch to stock car racing, he performed surprisingly well in the simulator.

As a reminder, the RBR Ford F1 partnership will begin in 2026. The automaker will provide certain parts and tech for the team’s power units. At the very least, Ford expects to learn some valuable lessons from the world of open-wheel racing as it continues to develop its next-generation battery-electric powertrain technology at the same time.