「夢」のレッドブルから開幕２戦で降格 ローソン「つらい」

【香港ＡＦＰ＝時事】フォーミュラワン（Ｆ１、Ｆ１世界選手権）のレッドブルからレーシングブルズに降格となったリアム・ローソン（２３）は２７日、わずか２レースで「夢」だったレッドブルのシートを失って「つらい」と話した。（写真は、フォーミュラワン〈Ｆ１、Ｆ１世界選手権〉、レッドブルからレーシングブルズに降格となったリアム・ローソン）
　レッドブルはこの日、開幕からの２戦で低調な結果に終わっていたニュージーランド人ドライバーのローソンに代わり、次週の日本ＧＰから角田裕毅を起用すると発表した。角田は姉妹チームのレーシングブルズからの昇格となる。
　ローソンは自身のインスタグラムに、「レッドブルのドライバーになることは子どもの頃からの夢であり、これまでの人生でずっと目指してきた。つらいけれど、自分をここまで導いてくれたことすべてに感謝している。これまで支えてくれた皆さん、ずっと応援してくれてありがとう。本当に感謝しきれない」とつづった。
　ローソンは、今季ここまで行われた三つの予選ですべてＱ１敗退となっており、いまだポイントを獲得できずにいる。
　レーシングブルズのチーム代表を務めるローラン・メキエス氏は、「ここ（チーム）にいる全員がリアムと一緒に仕事に励み、彼がこのチームのクルマで輝き、その才能を発揮するための最良の環境を提供することを楽しみにしている」と述べた。
　ローソンも、「大好きな場所の一つで働くのを楽しみにしている。準備はできている」と付け加えた。レーシングブルズではフランス人ドライバーのアイザック・ハジャーとタッグを組む。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/03/28-18:55）

Liam Lawson admitted Thursday it had been tough to see his dream job as a Red Bull F1 driver end in the sack after just two races of the 2025 season.
The New Zealander has been replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, confirming days of speculation after disappointing back-to-back performances.
Tsunoda will take over from Lawson starting at his home Japanese Grand Prix next week at Suzuka, Red Bull said in a statement.
Being a @redbullracing driver has been my dream since I was a kid, it's what I've worked towards my whole life, Lawson wrote on Instagram.
It's tough, but I'm grateful for everything that's brought me to this point. To every one of you who's stood by me, thank you for all the support - it means the world.
The 24-year-old Tsunoda moves up from the Racing Bulls (RB) sister team to partner four-time world champion Max Verstappen, with Lawson moving back down to RB, where he was last season.
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, said: 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.
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.
Lawson, 23, who was drafted in from RB in the winter to replace Sergio Perez, has endured a miserable start to the season and life at one of the top teams on the grid.
He has been knocked out at the first stage of all three qualifying sessions and has yet to score a point.
Verstappen in the other Red Bull is second in the title race with 36 points, eight behind early season leader Lando Norris of McLaren.
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, Horner added.
Tsunoda has shown pace on both race weekends of the season.
He was 12th in the season opener at Melbourne and only finished out of the points on Sunday at Shanghai because of RB's flawed two-stop pit strategy.
- 'Sensational' -
Tsunoda made his Formula 1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, becoming the first Japanese driver on the grid since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014.
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, said Horner.
We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.
Tsunoda started racing karts at the age of four in his native Kanagawa, just outside Tokyo.
He stands just 1.61 metres tall (5ft 3in) and his diminutive frame forced AlphaTauri engineers to develop a made-to-measure pedal kit to make him feel more comfortable in the cockpit.
Tsunoda used to be known for his four-letter outbursts on the team radio but displayed a new-found sense of self-control last year, and it helped his performances.
Away from racing, he tries to relax by snowboarding and playing video games, which he describes as training for keeping his cool on the track.
His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational, Laurent Mekies, team principal of RB, said in a statement Thursday.
He added: Everyone here at (the team) is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has.
Lawson will partner with France's Isack Hadjar at RB.
I'm excited and ready to go to work at one of my favourite places, added Lawson in his social media statement.