THINGS are about to get a lot more awkward between long-term rivals Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.
Habitually ruthless Red Bull have dropped Lawson for sister team driver Tsunoda after just TWO races of the 2025 season.
Lawson (23) has been dumped by Red Bull chiefs after failing to get to grips with the RB21 during the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.
With the structure set up between Red Bull Racing and sister team Racing Bulls, driver rotations are possible among the four seats.
Lawson’s nightmare season began with him dropping out in Q1 at the Aussie GP, before crashing out of the opening race in Melbourne.
A week later, the Kiwi again qualified last in both the sprint and race for the Shanghai GP — despite sitting in the second-best car in F1 last season.
The RB21 might be tailored for Max Verstappen, but mustering a P15 finish in Shanghai was too much for team principal Christian Horner.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda — who earns nearly double Lawson’s £800 000 salary — qualified fifth in Australia and ninth in China but finished outside of the top 10 for both races, due to strategy calls.
The decision to overlook Tsunoda for Lawson when replacing Sergio Perez — who endured a nightmare 2024 season — before Christmas was a strange one.
Having already spent four years in F1, Tsunoda is significantly more experienced than Lawson, who had entered only 11 grands prix in two short spells across 2023 and 2024.
Tsunoda (24) will be given a baptism of fire on home soil as he’ll officially replace Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend.
Meanwhile, the New Zealander will return to second team Racing Bulls as team-mate to French rookie Isack Hadjar.
But there appears to be no love lost between Lawson and his replacement driver, who have known each other since their teens. — Online
ARSENAL are targeting Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike — as an alternative to Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
Toon hero Isak, 25, is the most sought-after striker in world football and the Gunners may be priced out as the Carabao Cup winners hold out for £150 MILLION.
Frenchman Ekitike (22) has caught the eye of a number of Prem clubs — who have asked to be kept informed of his potential availability.
German side Frankfurt are expected to demand around £60m for a player who boasts 19 goals this season. Ekitike was a target for Newcastle in January 2022 — when the forward rejected a move to St James’ Park — before Magpies chiefs signed Swede Isak in the following summer window.
The France Under-21 international, who hit a hat-trick against Lee Carsley’s Young Lions on Friday, has shone in the Bundesliga after joining from Paris Saint-Germain permanently last summer following a loan spell.
He also has eight assists in all competitions for Frankfurt this season.
During the 5-3 win over England U21s, Ekitike scored twice from close range — including one back-heeled finish — as well as chipping the ball over keeper James Beadle. Having impressed in the Bundesliga and Europa League, the ex-PSG man is now keen to step up and wants a move to a Champions League club.
Ekitike does not have a release clause but is expected to move this summer as a number of teams seek a new No 9. — The Sun
Online Reporter
