It’s not hard to see why this is going viral.
Video of Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda pulling a chair from under Liam Lawson has got people chortling all over the world after Red Bull brutally axed the Kiwi on Thursday (AEDT).
Lawson has been the hard-luck story of the 2025 F1 season after Red Bull boss Christian Horner pulled the trigger on a move to dump Lawson back to Red Bull’s junior outfit, while promoting the Japanese driver to replace him.
Tsunoda had well and truly done his time in the Racing Bulls development team, having been overlooked for promotion to the senior Red Bull team on several occasions.
However, he finally got the news he has always wanted to hear when Red Bull swung the axe on Lawson just two races into the year.
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Since Lawson’s demotion following the Chinese Grand Prix, video has begun circulating of the competitive former teammates interacting behind the scenes.
One video shows the pair approaching a table before Tsunoda appears to be the gentlemen and offer the chair to Lawson.
However, just like has eventuated in their careers, Tsunoda proceeded to pull the chair out from Lawson as he went to put cheeks on seat.
Lawson can be heard in the video saying: “Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Really appreciate it. Do you want to bring it in for me as well. Yeah thanks.
Then, like his Red Bull career, it all came suddenly falling down.
Brutal.
One version of the clip shared by F1 commentator Tom Bellingham has gone viral with more than 1.8 million views this week on X.
Bellingham posted the video with a caption: “Absolutely brutal how this clip has aged”.
Lawson struggled during two race weekends before his tenure at Red Bull was cut short.
“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races, and as a result we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner said.
“We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam, and together we see that after such a difficult start it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience as he continues his F1 career with Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”
The move to promote Tsunoda in his place is a backflip for the senior Red Bull-backed team, the Japanese ace having never loomed large on Horner’s radar as a viable teammate for Verstappen until the team lost faith in Lawson’s potential.
Horner said he hoped Tsunoda, who is in his fifth season, could help the team move forward.
“We came into the 2025 season with two ambitions: to retain the world drivers championship and to reclaim the world constructors title, and this is a purely sporting decision,” he said.
“We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21, and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car.
“We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.”
Racing Bulls principal Laurent Mekies said he was pleased to see Tsunoda finally earn his promotion to the senior team.
“We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Red Bull Racing,” he said. “His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational.
“Personally and collectively it has been an immense privilege to witness those progresses for all of us in Faenza and in Milton Keynes.
“Yuki’s energy and positivity has lightened up every corner of our factories and of our garage, and he will always be a Racing Bull.
“We wish him all the success he deserves at RBR.”
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