Yuki Tsunoda said he would be “100%” ready to drive for Red Bull at the next race in Japan should the opportunity present itself.

More pressure was placed on the shoulders of Liam Lawson after he qualified last in China, raising further questions as to why Tsunoda was overlooked for the Red Bull seat.

Yuki Tsunoda ready for Red Bull step up

Despite being the more experienced driver, Tsunoda was not chosen to be Max Verstappen’s team-mate after Red Bull had opted to drop Sergio Perez.

Instead, they chose relative newcomer Lawson who is struggling to get to grips with his new drive.

He crashed out in Australia and any chance of points in China has been made harder by his P20 starting spot.

Meanwhile at Racing Bulls, Tsunoda is impressing, making it to Q3 for the second time in as many races this season.

Naturally, the subject of a Red Bull promotion was put to him and Tsunoda said he was ready.

“Yeah, why not?” he told the media in Shanghai. He was then pressed on whether he would even take the seat for the next race in Japan.

“Japan? Yeah 100%, the car is faster.”

Tsunoda was then whisked away by the team’s PR handler but the comments are perhaps a reflection on how the 24-year-old felt about being overlooked.

Meanwhile Max Verstappen was coy with his thoughts on the matter, saying that the fact Racing Bulls were so close to him “says something.’

More reaction from quali in China

‘Not good enough’ Liam Lawson admits ‘I don’t have time’ after tough Red Bull quali

Explained: Why Lando Norris is ‘not as comfortable’ at Chinese GP amid Piastri pole

While Lawson was left to wonder what went wrong, it could hardly have been a better day for the man who took his seat, Isack Hadjar.

The rookie qualified seventh but believed there was even more pace out there.

“This afternoon, Q1 was fantastic,” the Frenchman said. “I think I had my best balance there and I felt very good in the car.

“Then throughout Q2 and Q3, the wind changed, which impacted the feeling I had whilst I was driving. It was an intense and stressful Q3, and I was obviously very excited to be out there with the top guys, but at the same time, I’m a bit gutted about my final lap as I think there was still a bit more lap time to find.

“After Melbourne, the team did a great job coming here to Shanghai and maximizing the package in a very different circuit. The car works perfectly and we’ll do our best to try and get some points tomorrow.”

Read next: Chinese GP: Piastri secures pole with lap record in qualifying, and a ‘little scream in my helmet’