Christian Horner defended Yuki Tsunoda after he failed to score points on his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix. After securing a shock pole at Suzuka, Max Verstappen held off the challenge of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to claim his first win of the Formula 1 season.

Liam Lawson, tapped by the team to replace Sergio Pérez, was out and Yuki Tsunoda, passed over initially by the team to replace Pérez, was in. That move sparked a debate throughout the Formula 1 world regarding how Red Bull continues to handle their second driver.