Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda will swap seats as Red Bull and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls head to the Japanese Grand Prix.

Following a difficult opening two races in the 2025 Formula One season for Liam Lawson, Red Bull have made “a purely sporting decision” and “to protect and develop” the driver that he will drive for the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

This means that from his home Japanese Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda will drive for Red Bull after four seasons with the Racing Bulls.

Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner said: “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.

“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.

“We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a Team he knows very well.”

Horner continued to explain the decision after two poor Grand Prix weekends, by Max Verstappen’s standards, where he finished third and fourth.

“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.”

Red Bull are in the unique position of having four seats on the Formula One grid across Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

Team Principal of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Laurent Mekies said: “We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing.

“His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational. Personally, and collectively, it has been an immense privilege to witness those progresses for all of us in Faenza and in Milton Keynes.

“Yuki’s energy and positivity has lightened up every corner of our factories and of our garage and he will always be a Racing Bull.

“We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR. Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has.

“He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a Team. With Isack having started strongly with us already, we know we have a young and strong lineup.”

Japan’s Tsunoda, 24, worked his way up through to Formula One from karting to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, the Toyota Racing Series and then the FIA Formula 2 Championship where he claimed three wins and seven podiums in the 2020 season to finish third ahead of the jump up into Formula One for the 2021 season.

He has spent the past four seasons with Red Bull’s second team where he finished 14th, 17th, 14th and then 12th last year.

With a fifth in qualifying at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, along with sixth place at last week’s Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race, highlighting his impressive form of late.

The second Red Bull seat has proven difficult for the team to fill with Mexican Sergio Perez being replaced by Lawson after a poor 2024.

He has joined a list of drivers that includes Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon that have struggled with the Red Bull car.

New Zealand’s Lawson, 23, will now join French-Algerian rookie Isack Hadjar, 20, at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for the Japanese Grand Prix around Suzuka on April 6 – the third round of the 2025 season.