Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda heads into his home Grand Prix with the biggest opportunity of his Formula One career.
After just two races, Red Bull announced on Thursday, March 27, that Tsunoda would replace Liam Lawson at the senior team beginning with the April 4-6 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit.
Lawson will move down to Racing Bulls (Red Bull's second-tier team), where Tsunoda started the 2025 season.
It's a huge step up for Tsunoda, who gets a seat at one of Formula One's elite teams.
"I don't want to raise expectations too much, but for this Japanese Grand Prix, I want to finish on the podium," Tsunoda told reporters in Tokyo. "That said, I know it won't be easy right from the start."
Tsunoda's highest finish so far in F1 was fourth place at the 2021 race in Abu Dhabi when he drove for AlphaTauri.
The 24-year-old native of Kanagawa Prefecture has been promoted to a team that has won six Constructors' World Championships and includes four-time and reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Verstappen has yet to win this season, but he won in Japan for the last three years in a row. So, if Tsunoda can stay close to the Dutchman, he'll be in good shape.
The controversial swap shows just how competitive Formula One has become. Both Lawson and Tsunoda were out of the points in the first two races in Australia and China, but the more-experienced Tsunoda was the faster driver.
Red Bull needs to score points. After two races, McLaren Mercedes leads the team standings with 78 points, while Mercedes is second with 57, followed by Red Bull in third with 36.
On the Decision to Promote Yuki Tsunoda
"It's been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 (car) at the first two races, and as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch," Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner said in a statement.
Added Horner, "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 purely a sporting decision."
Horner expressed confidence that Tsunoda will live up to expectations.
"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," Horner said.
A Look at Yuki Tsunoda's Racing Results
Tsunoda finished the 2024 season 12th in the drivers' championship with 30 points, his highest-ever placing in Formula One to date.
After a promising qualifying session at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16, Tsunoda started fifth on the grid.
He worked his way up to second place at one point, but a pit stop in anticipation of rain late at Albert Park dropped him down to 12th place and out of the points.
Things didn't get much better at the March 23 Chinese Grand Prix, where Tsunoda finished 16th, a full lap behind winner Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
He did score three points in the Sprint event at the Chinese GP on Saturday, March 22.
With four seasons under his belt, Tsunoda is no longer a rookie so the expectations are higher and the move to Red Bull could be just the thing he needs for a breakthrough.
The 2025 F1 Competition is Wide Open
After four different teams won races in 2024, the battle for wins is wide open.
Lando Norris and McLaren teammate Piastri won the first two races in an early indication that the dominance of Verstappen is not what it was last season when the Red Bull driver was the runaway championship winner.
Last year at Suzuka, Tsunoda was stuck in midfield mid-race, but a superb second pit stop allowed him to jump several rivals and finish 10th. As a result, he became the first Japanese driver to score points on home soil since 2012.
It will be interesting to see what Tsunoda makes of this golden opportunity. It is no guarantee of success.
Sergio Perez won six Grand Prix at Red Bull but eventually wilted under the pressure of being Verstappen's teammate and the partnership came to an end following the 2024 season. Perez is now without a seat in F1.
Fired Up About His Promotion
For his part, Tsunoda said he is relishing the pressure that comes with the promotion.
"There aren't many moments in life where you face this kind of extreme pressure and an opportunity as big as this," Tsunoda said. "So I can only imagine that it's going to be an incredibly thrilling race."
Qualifying for Sunday's race takes place on Saturday after practice sessions on Friday.
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- F1 Driver Yuki Tsunoda Aiming to Keep the Momentum Going at Japanese Grand Prix
Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
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