By James Broughton, March 26, 2025
Not long ago, Christian Horner referred to Yuki Tsunoda as a “bridesmaid,” implying that he has been part of the Red Bull F1 family for too long and needs to spread his wings and find a new home. Around the same time, Liam Lawson justified his promotion to Red Bull Racing by dismissing Tsunoda, saying, “He’s had his time; now it’s my time.” The underlying narrative? Tsunoda will always be the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Now, just two races into his Red Bull career, rumors suggest that Liam Lawson is on his way out after delivering lackluster performances—and the “bridesmaid” might be stepping in to fill the void.
The second seat at Red Bull is the poisoned chalice of F1. The RB21 has proven difficult to master, but Max Verstappen, with his unique skill set, has managed to drive around its handling deficiencies, posting impressive lap times and racking up points. Lawson, however, has yet to tame the RB21, highlighting the gap between a world-class driver and a merely skilled one.
The New Zealand Enigma
Lawson has done plenty of talking off the track, but on it, he remains an enigma. Despite being outperformed by Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls (formerly VCARB), Lawson was given the nod to partner Verstappen in 2025. Red Bull—typically as data-driven as a devout Bible reading Christian—seemingly overlooked the numbers and instead relied on divine providence in promoting Lawson.
Now, the latest rumors suggest that Yuki Tsunoda will be promoted to Red Bull while Lawson returns to Racing Bulls. The official announcement is expected at next week’s Japanese Grand Prix. The timing is no coincidence—Tsunoda, as a Japanese driver, is hugely popular with his home fans, and the marketing potential for Red Bull Racing will be enormous.
But will Tsunoda suffer the same fate as Verstappen’s past teammates? Will he sip from the poisoned chalice, or will he crack open a can of Red Bull, spread his wings, and fly? Only time will tell.
