🚨 In a dramatic and unexpected twist ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing has made a sensational driver swap:
Yuki Tsunoda will move up to the main Red Bull team, while Max Verstappen will temporarily take the seat at VCARB (Racing Bulls) for the Suzuka race.
The announcement followed an emergency internal meeting at Red Bull, reportedly driven by both strategic considerations and Tsunoda’s standout early-season performance. While it’s highly unusual to see a reigning world champion like Verstappen stepping down — even temporarily — sources suggest the decision may be part of a broader technical or strategic test within the Red Bull driver ecosystem.
Yuki Tsunoda, currently in the best form of his career, will now have the chance to drive the championship-contending RB21 car in front of his home fans. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s temporary seat at VCARB could provide valuable feedback to the sister team — or simply be a move to shake things up as Red Bull evaluates its lineup and machinery.
Red Bull has not confirmed whether this is a one-off change or the beginning of a deeper reshuffle, but the optics of such a decision are unprecedented.
Tsunoda has been openly confident about his readiness:
“Japan? Yeah, 100%. I mean, the [Red Bull] car is faster,” he told reporters just days ago.
That confidence is now being put to the test — with the eyes of the world, and the home crowd at Suzuka, watching closely.
