Is Yuki Tsunoda making a career-ending mistake by replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull?

Yuki Tsunoda is set to take the biggest gamble of his career by replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull at the Japanese GP.

Is Yuki Tsunoda making a career-ending mistake by replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull?

Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, image via IMAGO

Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda will reportedly replace Liam Lawson at Red Bull Racing from the next race at the Japanese GP. This shock driver switch comes just two races into the 2025 season after Lawson’s miserable debut for Milton Keynes against Max Verstappen. However, will this transfer bear fruit for Tsunoda?

The Japanese driver was snubbed by Red Bull in favor of Lawson to replace Sergio Perez for this year. Though, Liam Lawson has failed to score a single point in the first two races. The BBC confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda will takeover the second Red Bull seat in a swap between him and the Kiwi driver.

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The 24-year-old has remained confident that he has what it takes to go up against Max Verstappen at Red Bull. During the Chinese GP, Tsunoda made it clear that he would be quicker than Lawson if he got the chance to drive the Red Bull RB21.

Now, the switch almost becoming inevitable as fans wait for an official announcement, concerns have risen over Tsunoda’s future. Whether the Japanese driver is taking a big gamble on his career by replacing Lawson.

Red Bull won’t be smooth sailing for Yuki Tsunoda

The ‘cursed’ Red Bull seat has not been easy for any driver since Daniel Ricciardo left the team in 2018. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez all failed to match Max Verstappen, with Liam Lawson becoming the latest victim. Even Verstappen acknowledges that the car is simply too difficult to drive even this year.

Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda (Via Global Honda)

As such, Yuki Tsunoda cannot expect to find it easy to get up to pace at Milton Keynes. The Japanese driver did have an edge over Lawson during their time as teammates at VCARB last year, yet it does not guarantee that he would be miles ahead of the Kiwi driver in terms of pace.

If things go wrong for Yuki Tsunoda, it could be the final blow in his career. The 24-year-old has stayed at Racing Bulls since his debut in 2021 without any real option for a switch. If Tsunoda fails to match expectations at Red Bull, he would not be on the list of any team for a potential move for the following year, essentially ending his Formula 1 career.

On the other hand, if Tsunoda does succeed in being close to Max Verstappen, it could open the door for a long-term stay at Red Bull. He is only 24 years old, and could become Milton Keynes’ future prospect after Lawson’s miserable performances.

Certainly, it seems that Yuki Tsunoda is ready to take the biggest gamble of his career with Red Bull. The Japanese driver understands that he has to take this bet if he wants to race for Milton Keynes and fulfill his dream of becoming an F1 world champion. Fans would hope that Tsunoda is able to extract the most out of the car and avoid the fate of his predecessors.