Yuki Tsunoda is one of two candidates for a promotion to Red Bull’s senior team ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
After four years with the Visa Cash App RB outfit, he could be chosen to partner Max Verstappen as questions loom over Sergio Perez’s future.
Tsunoda has been a dependable driver for the Faenza-based outfit for four seasons and has been their strongest points scorer over the past two years.
His main rival for the seat – current teammate Liam Lawson looked overwhelmed in Abu Dhabi and was beaten 6-0 in the qualifying battle between the two in 2024.
Red Bull staff were impressed by Tsunoda after he delivered superb feedback to the team in a post-season test, bolstering his chances of a move.
Team advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that a decision on their driver pairing is to be made in the coming days but Tsunoda’s recent performance appears to have turned heads.
Yuki Tsunoda says Red Bull’s F1 debrief is ‘very detailed’
Whoever Red Bull opts to replace Perez with, it will be hard to do worse than the Meixcan managed after failing to take a podium in 19 races.
His performance was remarkable considering it was in an RB20 machine which led Verstappen to the title by a comfortable margin. Perez suffered a very difficult braking issue which contributed to his struggles throughout 2024.
READ MORE: Yuki Tsunoda now rates his chances out of 100 to be racing for Red Bull instead of Sergio Perez in 2025
Speaking to Autosport, Tsunoda detailed which part of the Red Bull operation surprised him when he conducted a test for them after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“Our team feels very Italian – friendly with lots of physical gestures and interactions,” he said. “Meanwhile, Red Bull also has a very energetic vibe, almost like being in a pub.
“If I were to give one example regarding the engineering process, Red Bull digs deeper into every comment I make. They don’t miss anything I mention, asking very detailed follow-up questions to explore even more specifics.”
What should Yuki Tsunoda do if Red Bull rejects him for a 2025 F1 drive?
A rejection at this stage in his career would mean only one thing for Tsunoda’s hopes of driving for the Red Bull team.
Now is the best chance he will ever get to make the jump and if they don’t have enough faith in him after countless years in their junior academy and four years in Formula 1, he should look to move.
Pierre Gasly faced a similar conundrum a few years ago and took a plunge by moving to Alpine which has been a good move for him.
READ MORE: Why RB now think ‘impressive’ Yuki Tsunoda has reached the same limit as Williams star Carlos Sainz
Making the top ten of the Drivers’ Championship is an unlikely scenario if he remains with RB, but a move away could do him a world of good if he doesn’t get picked to join Verstappen.
How about Aston Martin? They’ll be using a Honda engine from 2026 – who Tsunoda is backed by – and could offer a place next to Fernando Alonso.
Lance Stroll’s performances have been far from inspiring and the arrival of Adrian Newey early in 2025 could make this a terrific proposition for Tsunoda.
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