In a twist that has rocked the Formula 1 world, Liam Lawson’s dream stint at Red Bull Racing has turned into a nightmare after just two races. The New Zealand prodigy, once hailed as the next big thing in Red Bull’s driver lineup, has been unceremoniously dropped, replaced by Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. What was meant to be Lawson’s golden opportunity to shine alongside Max Verstappen has crumbled into a humiliating demotion back to Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s sister team. For Lawson, this shock move might feel like the end—but is it truly the death knell for his F1 career?

Lawson’s journey to Red Bull’s top seat was a meteoric rise. After replacing Sergio Perez, who exited at the end of 2024 following a dismal season, Lawson edged out Tsunoda for the coveted spot despite having only 11 Grand Prix starts to his name. Red Bull’s brass, including Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, bet on his raw potential and mental toughness, qualities they believed outshone Tsunoda’s experience. But the 2025 season opener in Australia exposed cracks in that gamble. Lawson qualified 18th and crashed out in the rain, a debut disaster. China was even worse—last in both Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying, with a limp 12th-place finish. Zero points, zero promise, and a swift axe.

Enter Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver who’d been simmering on the sidelines. After four years with Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri), Tsunoda had outscored Lawson in their 2024 head-to-head and delivered a standout start to 2025—fifth in Australia qualifying, sixth in China’s Sprint. His promotion, announced on March 27, 2025, after a Red Bull crisis meeting in Dubai, is a triumph of persistence—and a nod to Honda’s financial nudge, reportedly worth €10 million. Tsunoda now gets his shot at Suzuka, his home race, in the RB21 cockpit. For Red Bull, it’s a desperate bid to salvage their Constructors’ Championship hopes, trailing McLaren after a shaky start.

For Lawson, this is a gut punch. “It’s terrible,” F1 photographer Kym Illman remarked, claiming Lawson learned of his fate publicly via a Dutch report rather than privately from the team—a brutal blow to a 23-year-old’s confidence. Horner called it a “duty of care” to protect Lawson by returning him to a familiar Racing Bulls environment, but the optics scream failure. History offers hope—Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon rebuilt after Red Bull demotions—but Lawson’s two-race stint is the shortest in F1’s modern era, a stain hard to erase.

Is this the end? Not necessarily. Lawson’s talent isn’t in doubt; the RB21’s trickiness stumped even Verstappen. Yet, with Tsunoda now in the spotlight and juniors like Arvid Lindblad rising, Lawson’s path back is steep. His worst nightmare has come true—but in F1’s ruthless game, nightmares don’t always mean game over.