Liam Lawson has admitted he was 'shocked' to learn he would be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull starting from the Japanese Grand Prix. Lawson, who secured a seat alongside Max Verstappen following Sergio Perez’s departure, was dropped after just two races into the new season due to underwhelming performances in Australia and China. He will now return to Red Bull’s junior team, Racing Bulls, in a swap with Tsunoda.

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"It was definitely a shock, honestly. It's not something that I saw coming. The discussions we were having didn’t suggest this outcome, so it was completely unexpected," Lawson was quoted saying to Sky Sports.

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Lawson previously raced alongside Tsunoda in late 2024 when he stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo at the then-named RB team. His performances earned him a promotion to Red Bull for 2025 as Verstappen’s new teammate, following Perez’s exit.

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'This is not the end for Liam'

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the tough decision, admitting that the team may have placed too much pressure on Lawson too soon. "It's a horrible situation because you're taking away someone's dream, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. This isn’t the end for Liam," Horner was quoted saying to Sky Sports.

"We made the call after just two races, but we have to accept that we were expecting too much, too quickly. Now, he has the opportunity to further develop his talent with Racing Bulls, while Yuki gets the chance to showcase his experience," Horner added.

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(With inputs from agencies)