Speculation about Liam Lawson's Red Bull future picked up speed on Tuesday with reports suggesting the Formula One team had decided to replace the New Zealander with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda.

Liam Lawson will be demoted to Racing Bulls for the third race of the season in Japan next week, with Yuki Tsunoda moving in the opposite direction to be Max Verstappen’s team-mate at the senior Red Bull team.

While Verstappen scored 301 points over the remainder of the 2024 season, en route to his fourth F1 Drivers’ Championship, it was not enough for Red Bull to hold on atop the standings, and they tumbled to third.