Red Bull F1 team descend into chaos just two races into season as driver facing axe fumes over potential replacement

RED BULL have descended into chaos again just two races into the new season.

Liam Lawson, who joined the team this season, could be axed already at the next Grand Prix in Japan and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.

The Kiwi driver, 23, has suffered a woeful start to the 2025 campaign.

He was knocked out at the first stage of all three qualifying sessions and has also failed to pick up a single point.

Lawson is way behind his teammate Max Verstappen in terms of race pace, with the Dutchman second in the driver’s standings, eight points behind Lando Norris.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has not ruled out an early-season swap, with Tsunoda impressing for the sister team Racing Bulls.

When Tsunoda was asked about a swap, he said: “Yeah, 100 per cent. The car is faster, I'm sure.”

The next race is in Japan (4-6 April) and is Tsunoda’s home grand prix.

But a fuming Lawson hit back, saying: “He can say whatever he wants.

“I've raced him for years, raced him in the junior categories and beat him.

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“If I look back over our career, I was team-mates with him in F3 and I beat him.

“In Euro Formula, I was team-mates with him in New Zealand, and I beat him there.

“And then in F1 last season, I think honestly, if I look at all the times he got promoted instead of me in those early years, then no.

“He’s had his time. Now it’s my time.”

Sergio Perez and Alex Albon found before Lawson that driving a car tailored to four-time world champion Verstappen is no easy ride.

Red Bull chose to promote Lawson from their junior squad Racing Bulls after just 11 Grand Prix appearances in two short spells across 2023 and 2024, despite Tsunoda having more experience.

Team advisor Helmut Marko claimed that a meeting had been scheduled for next week to discuss the situation, but Horner said “nothing specific” had been set up.

He added: “Liam still has got potential, we're just not realising that at the moment.

“The problem for him is, he's had a couple of really tough weekends, he's got all the media on his back.

“The pressure just naturally grows in this business, and I feel very sorry for him.

“You can see it's very tough on him at the moment.”

Horner will be feeling the pressure to deliver this season given Red Bull’s chaotic campaign last year, where the team was rocked by his ‘sexting’ scandal.

He was accused by a female colleague of “inappropriate behaviour” but was twice cleared by an independent investigation.

There was then a string of high-profile exits, including legendary designer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.

They also missed out on the Constructor’s title with Perez finishing a whopping 285 points behind Verstappen before he was axed for Lawson.

But it seems history is repeating itself.