Reports confirm that Tsunoda will indeed compete for Red Bull at Suzuka.

      Strongly backed by Honda

      The decision has been made - Liam Lawson will reportedly not be back in the 2025 Red Bull Racing car. The Dutch newspapers De Limburger and De Telegraaf report that following a meeting with 51 percent Red Bull owner Chalerm Yoovidhya in Dubai on Tuesday, it has been decided that Lawson will return to Racing Bulls. Starting from Suzuka, Yuki Tsunoda is set to become Max Verstappen's new teammate, reportedly receiving strong support from Honda during the final season of the Red Bull-Honda partnership.

      However, some doubt that the Japanese driver will perform any better than Lawson, who finished at the bottom during the Chinese GP weekend. "It's hard to believe that anyone partnering with him (Verstappen) could face such significant challenges," former F1 team boss and owner Giancarlo Minardi stated on his website. "It's likely that the car is quite challenging to drive, as it was designed primarily for Verstappen's specific driving style, which complicates matters for his teammates.

      I struggle to envision a different explanation since the 'cousins' (at Racing Bulls) are faster and perform better than Lawson." Red Bull officials continue to assert that their Formula 1 cars are not exclusively tailored to Verstappen’s style, though team principal Christian Horner acknowledges that the main team’s car has a "sharper" front end than the Racing Bulls.

      "That is the distinction," Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel mentioned to Viaplay, "because Max has always preferred a car that is quite loose at the back. That instills a lack of confidence in other drivers. When navigating those high-speed turns while always being at the limit, you can see that Lawson does not trust the car - and as a result, it's impossible to drive at full potential."

      Lawson, aged 23, is expected to return to Racing Bulls, while Alpine has dismissed speculation that Franco Colapinto - currently on loan from Williams - could also be loaned to the Red Bull family. "The rumors are untrue," a team spokesperson stated to Ole. "Colapinto is an Alpine driver."