Colapinto to Racing Bulls?: The strange maneuver that could happen in Formula 1

Liam Lawson's performance in the first races of the 2025 F1 season has raised doubts about his continuity at Red Bull Racing. The New Zealand driver faced difficulties in both Australia and China, which led the team to evaluate possible changes before the next event in two weeks in Japan.

Lawson suffered a crash in Australia and finished last in both the Sprint race and Sunday's qualifying in China. Meanwhile, in the main race in Shanghai, he crossed the finish line in 15th place,but was reclassified to 12th after the disqualifications of Ferrari's two drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly from Alpine. Between both races, he didn't score any points.

In this situation, the energy team compares his performance with Yuki Tsunoda's, who remains in Racing Bulls, Red Bull's B team. The 25-year-old Japanese driver finished 12th in Australia and achieved a 6th place in the China Sprint, although he finished last on Sunday with a less competitive car. Tsunoda has long been pushing for an opportunity in the main team.

In an interview, Lawson acknowledged the difficulties of adapting to the RB21 car. "It's really difficult, honestly. I think the time margin is very small, but, honestly, it's no excuse," he told Sky Sports F1.

Due to the team's difficult situation, according to Motorsport and Autosport, Red Bull could replace Lawson with Tsunoda before the Japanese Grand Prix. Even Max Verstappen opined that Lawson would be faster with a Racing Bulls car. "I think putting Liam in the Racing Bulls car, he'll be faster," commented the team's star.

Red Bull's boss, Christian Horner, highlighted that the team is analyzing Lawson's performance: "He's had a couple of tough races, but we gathered a lot of data in Shanghai. We'll take the time to evaluate it," he assured Motorsport. However, he denied that a decision has been made: "There will always be speculation in the paddock, but we just finished the race here. Everything is purely speculative at this moment."

Meanwhile, Helmut Marko, the Austrian team's sports advisor, praised Tsunoda's growth: "He's a different Yuki from previous years. He changed trainers, has a different approach, and is more mature," he told Autosport.

Tsunoda also didn't hide his enthusiasm for the possible promotion: "Japan? Yes, totally. I mean, the car (Red Bull) is faster," he expressed when asked about the possibility of swapping positions with Lawson in Suzuka.

If this move materializes, it wouldn't be the first time Red Bull makes internal changes. Verstappen was promoted in 2016 replacing Daniil Kyvat, Alex Albon replaced Pierre Gasly in 2019, and Lawson himself took Daniel Ricciardo's place in Racing Bulls last year.

How does all this affect Colapinto?

If there's no place for Lawson in Racing Bulls, his seat could be offered to the Argentine driver, according to Motorsport. However, this move would require negotiations with Alpine and Williams, as the 21-year-old Buenos Aires driver is on loan for five years.

The outlet Relevo described this possible transfer as a "carom." Red Bull had already shown interest in Colapinto to be Verstappen's teammate, but opted to keep their own talents. Meanwhile, Jack Doohan has had an inconsistent performance at Alpine, which could open the door for Colapinto's promotion alongside Pierre Gasly.

Flavio Briatore, Alpine's executive advisor and a key figure in decision-making, bet on Colapinto with a strong investment. Now, the question is whether he will allow his departure or give him the opportunity to debut in F1 with the French team.