£36bn F1 manufacturer already looking at Yuki Tsunoda as Red Bull sources make ‘long-term’ views clear

Yuki Tsunoda will make his debut for Red Bull at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix – his home race. Helmut Marko has already stated that Tsunoda will have the rest of the season to prove himself.

At most teams, that would be a given – but not Red Bull. Pierre Gasly was booted out of the senior squad after half a season, while Tsunoda’s immediate predecessor, Liam Lawson, remarkably lasted just two races.

Significantly, Tsunoda is in the final year of his contract. That makes his promotion risky.

If he struggles, just like all of Max Verstappen’s teammates since Daniel Ricciardo, then his stock could fall sharply. Alex Albon spent a year out on F1 after losing his Red Bull seat at the end of 2020, and while Sergio Perez is in talks with Cadillac, it’s still possible that his career is over.

In a sense, one could argue that Tsunoda would have been better served staying at Racing Bulls, where he was consistently impressing potential suitors. But realistically, he was never going to turn down the opportunity to drive the RB21, potentially his path to a first F1 podium.

Cadillac admire Yuki Tsunoda with long-term Red Bull stay unlikely

According to ESPN, Red Bull ‘sources’ have indicated that they don’t see Tsunoda as a ‘long-term fix’ in their second seat. Instead, he represents an immediate upgrade on Lawson.

They believe Tsunoda is more likely to deliver the constructors’ championship if their car reaches the required standard. While they’re already 42 points behind McLaren, they’re pinning their hopes on the flexi-wing crackdown at June’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Marko and Christian Horner will reassess their driver line-ups at the end of the season. Some at Red Bull can foresee Lawson returning one day, while Isack Hadjar will be able to make his case and F2 driver Arvid Lindblad could be a wildcard.

They could also shop the external market, with their Honda partnership no longer a factor. The Japanese manufacturer, who back Tsunoda, will supply Aston Martin instead next year.

Where could he go instead? The obvious destination is Cadillac, who have two open seats and are ‘understood to admire’ Tsunoda.

Cadillac’s owners General Motors are valued at £36bn, so the team should have the resources to excel. Tsunoda could be tempted, having been denied a potential move to Haas by the terms of his Red Bull contract last year.

Yuki Tsunoda has the best possible ally as he makes Red Bull debut at Japanese Grand Prix

Of course, if Tsunoda breaks the second-seat curse and can consistently lap within a few-tenths of Verstappen, Red Bull could change their minds. But bizarre as it sounds, they still don’t seem to rate him particularly highly.

This could be billed as a marriage of convenience, with Lawson’s position quickly rendered untenable. Red Bull overlooked Tsunoda on multiple occasions, most damningly last December.

Franz Tost has marvelled at Tsunoda’s ‘incredible’ development and believes he may now have the mentality to succeed alongside Verstappen. He’s exuded confidence in his media appearances this week, but it’s crucial that he still feels that way come Sunday evening.

Gasly proactively called Tsunoda this week to offer him some tips for his Red Bull experience. The Frenchman is the best possible ally because, with the benefit of perspective, he can advise his old teammate on how to avoid the same mistakes.