Red Bull shake-up sends shockwaves through the paddock: Lawson demoted, Tsunoda promoted and Verstappen reportedly furious – The 2025 Formula One season has barely begun and already the first major line-up shake-up has sent shockwaves through the paddock. Red Bull Racing has executed a surprising and controversial driver switch that sees Liam Lawson demoted to the secondary team, Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri, now officially branded as VCARB), while Yuki Tsunoda is promoted to the top-tier Red Bull Racing squad.
This dramatic internal reshuffle has sparked outrage behind closed doors – most notably from Max Verstappen, who is reportedly “not happy” with the decision and has raised fresh concerns about his own future with the team.
Shocking mid-season move: Lawson demoted to Racing Bulls
The move came as a shock, especially so early in the season. Despite promising talent and flashes of brilliance, Liam Lawson has been dropped by Red Bull Racing after just two races. He will now return to the team’s in-house junior team, the Racing Bulls, in a move that insiders say is more of a disciplinary measure than a performance-based decision.
Felix Görner, an RTL pundit and long-time F1 analyst, was one of the first to break the story.
According to him, the decision was taken as a punitive measure to bring Lawson back into form. German outlet f1-insider echoed these claims, describing the move as a “wheel swap” to help the New Zealander “regain his old strength”.
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Other motives at work?
But few in the paddock believe that this is simply about performance. The speed and abruptness of the decision suggests deeper strategic motives – ones that may not align with Red Bull’s typically meticulous approach to driver development.
By moving Lawson back to the second team and promoting Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull has upset its internal hierarchy much earlier in the season than anyone expected.
Tsunoda, a long-time junior driver whose promotion to the A-team looked increasingly unlikely just a few months ago, now finds himself partnered with Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 drivers champion. Whether Yuki is up to the challenge is an open question – and one that seems to be bothering Verstappen the most.
Helmut Marko power play behind the scenes?
One layer of this unfolding saga that adds both intrigue and credibility to the story is the involvement – or at least proximity – of Helmut Marko to f1-insider, the outlet that first confirmed the driver swap and reported Verstappen’s growing discontent.
As Red Bull Racing’s long-time motorsport advisor and the architect of the team’s ruthless young driver programme, Marko has wielded considerable power in shaping the careers of Red Bull’s contracted drivers for nearly two decades. His influence, while formidable, has also come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, particularly as tensions within Red Bull’s leadership have begun to surface.
F1-insider’s consistent access to accurate and timely information from Red Bull has long suggested a close relationship with Marko himself.
In this context, the publication’s detailed reporting on the Lawson-Tsunoda move, Verstappen’s frustration and Mercedes’ interest in the Dutchman begins to look less like a scoop and more like a carefully placed narrative.
If the information did come from Marko – or those close to him – it raises the question of whether he is using his media influence to shape Red Bull’s internal discourse or put pressure on certain decision-makers.
Verstappen frustrated: A growing rift at Red Bull
Behind the scenes, Verstappen’s reaction has reportedly been one of intense frustration. According to f1-insider, the Dutchman is “not happy” with the decision and sees it as a misstep that only underlines deeper problems at Red Bull.
While Verstappen has been the team’s undisputed talisman, his growing discontent reflects wider issues – chiefly, the team’s inability to field a car that suits more than just his driving style.
The 2024 season was the first sign of trouble. While Verstappen continued to dominate, teammate Sergio Pérez struggled mightily with the RB20, frequently expressing dissatisfaction with its balance and handling.
This lack of adaptability not only alienated Pérez, but also raised eyebrows among observers who suggested that Red Bull had begun to design cars too finely tuned to Verstappen’s preferences. Ironically, Verstappen now appears to want a more versatile car-one that can bring out the best in any driver, not just himself.
The discontent goes beyond the engineering. Sources close to Red Bull suggest that Verstappen views the latest driver reshuffle as evidence of a lack of coherent strategy.
The move to demote Lawson, regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the Red Bull system, is seen by some as impulsive. Others believe it’s a sign of internal discord, possibly even a power struggle within Red Bull’s leadership structure.
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Whispers of an exit, Verstappen and the temptation of Mercedes
The turmoil at Red Bull has not gone unnoticed by rival teams. Mercedes, in particular, are closely monitoring the situation and have reportedly made overtures to Verstappen’s camp. Team principal Toto Wolff has always maintained a strategic interest in the Dutch superstar, and recent developments have given him fresh motivation to act.
Although Wolff publicly downplayed any contact while in Shanghai, sources suggest a different reality behind the scenes.
According to f1-insider, Wolff has already launched what has been described as a “charm offensive” aimed at Verstappen’s inner circle. The intention is clear: to lure the four-time world champion to Brackley in the event that tensions at Red Bull boil over.
In public, Wolff continues to insist that “no swap” has taken place and that the possibility of signing Verstappen “does not arise today”.
However, he added a telling qualifier – admitting that “things could look very different tomorrow or even soon”. It’s a thinly veiled admission that Mercedes are positioning themselves should Verstappen seek an exit strategy.
Tsunoda’s big break – or a poisoned chalice?
While much of the focus has been on Lawson’s demotion and Verstappen’s discontent, the sudden promotion of Yuki Tsunoda raises its own set of questions.
The Japanese driver has been part of the Red Bull junior ecosystem for years, but had not been widely seen as a contender for the A-team seat. Now that he’s there, the pressure will be immense – not just to perform, but to earn the trust of a teammate who didn’t support the decision.
Tsunoda is known for his fiery temperament and aggressive driving style. He had matured considerably at Racing Bulls, scoring solid points and consistently outperforming his team-mates. But joining Red Bull Racing is a seismic shift in expectations. He now faces the daunting task of matching Verstappen in the same machine, something no teammate has managed over a full season since Daniel Ricciardo left the team in 2018.
Whether Tsunoda was ready, or simply next in line due to timing and politics, is up for debate. What’s clear is that Red Bull is making increasingly risky bets with its driver line-up – a sign that the team’s usually steady hand may be slipping amid growing internal tensions.
Internal politics on the rise: Marko’s role in the post-Horner landscape
Since the organisational turmoil that followed the Christian Horner controversy earlier this year, Red Bull’s internal dynamics have become more complex.
There are now reportedly several factions within the team’s leadership, each pushing their own vision for the future. Marko, who has traditionally operated with autonomy when it comes to driver decisions, may now be seeking to reassert his influence, particularly if his role is diminished in this new power structure.
From this perspective, the abrupt demotion of Lawson and the sudden elevation of Tsunoda could be interpreted not just as a reaction to race results, but as a move orchestrated – or at least encouraged – by Marko as a form of internal manoeuvring.
By publicly airing Verstappen’s grievances and presenting Mercedes’ alleged interest, Marko could be sending a coded message to Red Bull management: that ignoring the voices of those who built the team’s driver programme could carry significant risks.
Furthermore, if Marko is indeed behind the strategic leak to f1-insider, it could be a calculated attempt to sway public opinion or provoke action from senior figures within Red Bull’s parent company. In doing so, he is not only asserting his continued relevance, but also disrupting any consolidation of power that might seek to marginalise his role.
Whether this is a genuine attempt to protect the integrity of Red Bull’s driver development philosophy, or a power play in a larger boardroom chess game, remains to be seen.
Marko announces big change for Verstappen
Uncertainty clouds Red Bull’s future
The decision to swap Lawson and Tsunoda has wider implications for Red Bull beyond the immediate personnel involved. For the first time in years, the organisation looks unstable.
Christian Horner, still reeling from off-track controversies and boardroom infighting, may be losing his grip on the direction of the team.
Meanwhile, Verstappen holds the keys to Red Bull’s future. His contract runs until 2028, but F1 contracts have always been wafer-thin when performance and confidence falter. If he decides to leave, Red Bull will face not just a talent void, but potentially an existential crisis about the culture it has built – and whether it still supports the best driver in the world.
With the Japanese Grand Prix on the horizon, the spotlight will be on all three drivers involved: Verstappen, watching his team’s decisions with increasing scepticism; Tsunoda, now thrust into the biggest opportunity of his career; and Lawson, trying to prove that a temporary demotion does not define his future. What happens next could shape not only the rest of the 2025 season, but the future of Red Bull Racing itself.
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Why Red Bull must take the blame for Lawson’s performance – Liam Lawson is treading in the footsteps that others have taken and quickly lost their way. Over the winter the New Zealand born driver was promoted from the Red Bull sister team alongside Formula One champion Max Verstappen for 2025 – and its going horribly wrong.
The new Red Bull driver had eleven Grand Prix to his name before his first full season contract this year, having deputised for the injured Daniel Ricciardo in 2023 before eventually replacing him with six races to go last season.
Despite this experience, Lawson is finding the transition from one F1 car to another incredibly difficult and across the three qualifying sessions this year to date Liam has failed to make it out of the first session.
Lawson bemoans lack of familiarisation
On debut for Red Bull Lawson crashed out of the season opener in Melbourne before failing to make it from the back of the grid into the points in either the Sprint or the Chinese GP. Liam has been under the media microscope this weekend, with Sky F1 reporter cornering team boss Christian Horner and demanding: “You didn’t pay off Checo for this, did you? I mean, the point was to replace Checo with a quicker driver, and is he just not a quicker driver?”
Horner resorted to the usual mantra about “supporting our driver,” something we heard regularly as he was continually questioned over Sergio Perez’s future last season. On the whole Liam Lawson has taken responsibility for his shocking start to the season on the chin but given he was regularly challenging Yuki Tsuoda in 2024, clearly the RB21 is a difficult beast to master than the Racing Bull.
The Lawson debate took a turn on Sunday in China as questions were asked in the British media over why he had not been afforded the same level of testing as had Kimi Antonelli had in 2024. The Mercedes replacement for Lewis Hamilton is reported to have clocked up close to 10,000km in previous Mercedes cars last year as the team prepared him for the task ahead this year.
When asked how he saw his dire situation, Lawson replied after the Chinese grand Prix, “we’re two races in and we’re racing,” he told Sky. “It’s something that you’d love to have, 60 test days and things like that, and I know a lot of the other guys tested a lot out of season.
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Red Bull criticised for lack of Lawson testing
“Unfortunately, it’s not something we did. It’s not something we can do in this [year’s] car anyway. So it’s just one of those things, it’s not an excuse, it’s just something that I’ve got to get on top of as quickly as I can.”
There’s a clear difference between how at home with the Mercedes Antonelli feels when compared to Lawson and his Red bull and whilst this year’s car will be different from the two year old one Kimi tested extensively last year, there are carry over characteristics which are fundamental to each F1 team’s ground effect cars.
When asked, Bernie Collins ex-strategy engineer for Aston Martin said she didn’t believe it would have been the right thing to do to keep Lawson at the Racing Bulls for another half or full season.The Sky F1 presenter did however question why Red Bull did not offer Lawson the same kind of induction into the Red Bull car that Mercedes gave Antonelli.
“We’ve talked a lot about Kimi Antonelli and the testing he’s done at Mercedes. If he was doing the same testing in a Williams or in a Mercedes engine [[customer] car its not giving him the same experience. We’ve spoken about how the Red Bull car is really difficult to drive. Its a very specific car. Its not the same as the Racing Bulls.
Mercedes junior driver programme now the standard
“Why did Red Bull not do a similar programme to Mercedes with Liam Lawson? Why was he not doing like he said 60 test days last year in a four year old Red Bull? Its going to have the same characteristics. There’s no cost cap covering that. He could have stepped into the car in a much much stronger position than he now is.”
Karun Chandhok of Sky F1 outlined the different course of action Red Bull could have taken. “The problem is they promoted him into the Racing Bulls… you could have left Daniel there till the end of the season and given Liam the 10,000km that Antonelli had in a two year old car.”
“They will counter it I suppose saying we gave him eleven races instead of a testing programme. But I think that Mercedes have raised the bar in terms of rookie preparation and the rest will have to follow.”
In fact the FIA were so concerned about the cost to a team of putting 10,000km programme together for testing in ‘previous cars’ that they have this year restricted the amount of mileage each team is permitted to do.
Marko gives Lawson another weekend
Teams can now conduct a maximum of 20 days of TPC in any given year and the race drivers are allowed just four days not exceeding a maximum of 1000km. To compensate for the loss of TPC mileage for the team’s young drivers, the FIA has expanded the number of junior driver FP1 sessions which are mandatory for 2025.
The one junior FP1 test per car has been doubled to two meaning there are now four sessions available to the team for their reserve or junior drivers.
Red Bull Racing were once renown for their gold standard junior driver programme, although in recent times it appears the pipeline off potentials coming through to F1 has diminished. When Alex Albon was released from his Red Bull drive for 2021, the team was forced to resort to recruiting experience in the form Sergio Perez.
Whilst Dr. Helmut Marko suggested it would be prudent to wait until there have been three race weekends before Lawson is judged, Red Bull have a significant problem. Even were they to replace Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda, of 89 Grand Prix starts, there’s no guarantee he will find the RB21 any easier to manage than its current incumbent.
Why did Lawson not test in Abu Dhabi?
Who will take the rap back at the crisis meeting being held in Milton Keynes this week? Presumably Dr. Marko is responsible for the development of the young drivers,
To compound Red Bull’s difficult decisions ahead is the fact in the post season Abu Dhabi test it was Tsunoda and Hadjar who were given the drive in RB20. Thee was no baseline driver such as Verstappen or Perez for their performances to be measured against.
With Red Bull surely knowing that they were set to promote Liam Lawson, it would have made sense to ensure that he was one of the drivers in the Abu Dhabi test. Although this would have meant Tsunoda would have been disallowed under the FIA rules which state only one driver per team can participated who has completed more than two Grand Prix weekends.
Tsunoda enjoyed his time behind the wheel of the Red Bull as he explained: “You can physically feel why the RB20 has been fighting for a championship this year, it feels like a very different car to drive,” he said.
“We have had a very proactive day today so I am really happy with that. There is still a lot of learning that I have to do, but the team have done a great job of preparing such a great run today. It’s been such an enjoyable atmosphere in the garage.”
Tsunoda says “Red Bull suits my driving style”
Yet Yuki’s killer line which will haunt the board room in Milton Keynes as the management meet this week will be: “I feel like the car suits my driving style and I haven’t struggled much at all to adapt,” said Tsunoda.
Red Bull’s head of performance, Ben Waterhouse said after the test. “We successfully completed the priority test items on both cars with both drivers performing to a very high level and delivering exactly what we anticipated from them.
“Yuki provided excellent feedback on the various tests performed on the 2025 Pirelli tyres offering valuable insight on the tyre changes Pirelli will introduce for next year.”
This is a far cry from todays comments from the lost Liam Lawson, who reacted to his P15 finish saying: “Unfortunately I don’t really have time to get used to it [new setup], but I need to figure it out as quickly. I don’t have time to test the car and get used to it, but we’re in the season already, so each race we’re losing points. That’s more or less what I mean when I don’t have time.
“But I’m also not stupid and I know that, obviously, I’m here to perform – and if I’m not doing that, I’m not going to be around. I’m just focused on getting used to the car as quickly as I can.”
FIA crisis: F1 discuss retaining current F1 engines
The Chinese Grand Prix may well have been a bit of a borefest, but off track an incredible back story is taking shape. The FIA have now confirmed they are in talks to ditch the much hated F1 hybrid power units.
Formula One entered its hybrid era in 2014 as the global auto manufacturers predicted this would be the shape of the future of road cars. Yet due an acceleration in the net zero agenda, hybrid road cars are proving to be merely a bridge head to a full electric future.
Given that Formula One prides itself on being at the cutting edge of auto technology, the decision to continue with the hugely expensive and hefty hybrids is looking a poor one from the FIA. Not only will the 2026 power units continue with the hybrid technology, they will be upping the electrical power output to 50% of the total…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Until this is formally announced by both teams, and is reported by reputable media sources, then I will again file this under the “the “judge” regurgitating rumours and reporting as fact” section
Oscar “Pastry” 😂
Best decision they made !!! They can’t afford another race without points Lawson’s not performing. They need point to stay in constructor contention Lawson is in a car that should be top and should make it to Q3
No need to sack Lawson
Don’t think he’s done anything wrong yet they sack Lawson
This has to Happen.. Just because of One single season Low performance RB has Let go A Teammate who was called Wingman. I assume this is the end of Red bull champions ship Hopes in near future. Also if this continues, Ver won’t stay.
They are right to make this decision quickly, they ponced about with a second class driver all last season and look where that got them, Yuki Tsunoda is quite an exiting driver with a bit of much needed alternative character, I don’t see What’s wrong with swapping drivers quickly if they don’t perform ,their seat will go to someone who can, this hanging on to drivers who can’t hack it and nursing their fragile emotions is just woke crap, only one thing should matter drive the car to the limit and don’t make excuses,and bury this last 6 yes of woke crap
If the rumours are true or false it hasn’t been officially acknowledged by Red Bull, obviously the setup of the car doesn’t suit Lawson and it appears to be undrivable, will Yuki make a difference? I have my doubts, not the fault of the drivers mind you, but the development processes with this 2025 RB31