Red Bull has confirmed that drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson will swap teams ahead of next weekend's Formula One Japanese Grand Prix.

The move sees Lawson return to the junior Racing Bulls team after just two races this season, with Tsunoda moving the other way to replace the New Zealander at Red Bull.

Lawson and Tsunoda had finished 2024 as teammates at Racing Bulls - then known as RB - and with Red Bull deciding to dispense with the services of Sergio Perez after the end of the season, a sudden vacancy arose.

Though Tsunoda was the more experienced of the pair, with four seasons in F1 behind him, Red Bull elected to promote Lawson to the position, despite the New Zealander only having two part-seasons in F1 under his belt.

However, Lawson struggled badly over the first two races of 2025, qualifying 18th and spinning out of the wet Australian Grand Prix, and then lining up 20th and last on the grid for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix last weekend in Shanghai, before finishing outside the points.

It is not uncommon for Red Bull to demote underperforming drivers to its junior outfit mid-season, with Daniil Kvyat, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly all having suffered that same fate.

However, all those drivers were given at least half a season in a Red Bull, in contrast to Lawson's chastening demotion after just two races.

Tsunoda's promotion comes after the Japanese has frequently voiced his frustration at having been overlooked for a Red Bull seat in recent years.

The 24-year-old had to wait until last year's post-season test in Abu Dhabi for his first outing in a Red Bull car, and claimed after his run that the RB20 suited his driving style.

Having emerged as Racing Bulls' lead driver over recent years, Tsunoda has made a strong start to the F1 2025 season, qualifying an impressive fifth in Australia, and finishing sixth in the Sprint in China, ahead of championship leader Lando Norris.

Asked over the Chinese Grand Prix weekend whether he would be ready to step into a Red Bull, Tsunoda replied, "100 percent."