Red Bull has decided to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda for the Japanese Grand Prix. It’s a decision that many saw coming after Lawson’s performances during the 2025 campaign.
The community has divided opinions over the decision. Many believe that Red Bull should have put Yuki in the seat to begin with, while others believe that Lawson could use more time to adjust to the car. Regardless, everybody supports Yuki Tsunoda, including none other than the fan favourite, Guenther Steiner.
Guenther Steiner supports Yuki Tsunoda
In the Red Flags podcast on YouTube, Guenther Steiner had strong opinions about many things F1. This included Oscar Piastri’s current run in the sport and the hot topic that is the Red Bull driver swap.
Haas’s former team principal was very vocal about his support for Tsunoda. He mentioned how the Japanese driver has improved over the years and can capitalize on the RB21 to make it to Q3 consistently.
“Yuki will take it into Q3, I think. Yuki, in the moment, is doing good. He’s doing good in my opinion.”
“Yuki, in the beginning, was a bit of a mess to say the least. But now I think he’s got his act together. He’s quick, consistent.” said Steiner in the podcast.
Indeed, when you compare Yuki Tsunoda’s performances in the first two races to Liam Lawson’s, the difference is night and day. The Kiwi did not manage to make it out of Q3 in both qualifying. Yuki managed a P5 in Australia and a P9 in China.
The Japanese driver also has four years of experience under his belt, compared to Lawson’s eleven races before the 2025 season. The difference in experience in the team and the car speaks for Yuki’s skills.
Is Tsunoda Red Bull’s best option?
The RB21 is reportedly a difficult one to drive. Even Max Verstappen, the driver the car is made for, is struggling to control it, especially during turns.
Tsunoda’s four years of experience will prove more useful in taming the RB21 compared to Lawson. In the past year, Yuki showcased consistency in his results, but he was held back by strategic decisions.
The start to the 2025 campaign has been highly in favor of Yuki Tsunoda. With a consistent pace and little to no mistakes, the Japanese driver might be the best and the only option that Red Bull may have to take the fight to McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Isack Hadjar is too inexperienced to be considered for now.
Yuki Tsunoda will be at the helm of the RB21 at the Japanese Grand Prix while Liam Lawson takes his spot at Racing Bulls. Tsunoda’s home crowd will be cheering for him, and he has a lot to prove at Suzuka.
