Liam Lawson’s Formula 1 dream has turned into a nightmare faster than a pit stop gone wrong. Just two races into his Red Bull Racing tenure—replacing Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen—the 23-year-old New Zealander has been axed in one of the most ruthless driver swaps in F1 history. Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese star who’d been simmering at Racing Bulls, will take the RB21’s wheel at his home Grand Prix in Suzuka on April 4-6, 2025, while Lawson is demoted back to Red Bull’s junior team. The question now echoing through the paddock: is this the end for Lawson, or can he claw his way back from Red Bull’s brutal rejection?

Lawson’s stint was a disaster from the start. In Australia, he qualified 18th and crashed out in the wet. China was worse—dead last in both Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying, limping to 12th in the race after others faltered. Zero points, a yawning 0.88-second gap to Verstappen in qualifying, and a car he couldn’t tame spelled doom. Red Bull, trailing McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, didn’t hesitate. After a crisis meeting in Dubai on March 24, 2025, team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko pulled the trigger, swapping Lawson for Tsunoda—a move confirmed on March 27. Horner called it a “sporting decision” to chase titles, but for Lawson, it’s a public gut punch.

Red Bull’s reputation for ruthlessness is legendary—Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were dumped mid-season in years past—but Lawson’s two-race exit sets a new bar. Promoted over Tsunoda in December 2024 despite just 11 prior F1 starts, Lawson was a gamble on potential over experience. That bet backfired spectacularly. The RB21, a tricky beast even Verstappen struggles with, exposed Lawson’s inexperience. “It’s just time,” he said in China, voice heavy with resignation, knowing time was a luxury he didn’t have. Now, Tsunoda—fifth in Australia qualifying, sixth in China’s Sprint—gets his shot, backed by Honda’s influence and a home crowd.

Is this the end for Lawson? Not necessarily. He’s back at Racing Bulls, a team he knows, alongside rookie Isack Hadjar. Gasly and Albon rebuilt their careers after Red Bull’s axe—Gasly now thrives at Alpine, Albon at Williams. Lawson’s talent isn’t in doubt; he outshone Tsunoda in junior categories and held his own in 2024’s Racing Bulls stint. But this demotion stings. F1 photographer Kym Illman called it “terrible,” noting Lawson learned of his fate via a Dutch report, not the team—a cold slap to a young driver’s psyche.

Red Bull’s plan is clear: win now, no sentimentality. Tsunoda’s experience might stabilize their campaign, but Lawson’s story isn’t over. At 23, he has time to regroup—if he can survive the shadow of Red Bull’s merciless guillotine. The paddock watches: is this a stumble, or the end of the road?