Yuki Tsunoda has divided opinions since making his Formula 1 debut in 2021 but he has improved significantly over the past four seasons.
The Japanese driver has led the RB team very well this season and beat Daniel Ricciardo during their time as teammates before the 35-year-old left the team after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Tsunoda was error-prone during his early Formula 1 career and was comprehensively beaten by Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri in both qualifying and the races.
He has improved this year and scored points in the chaotic Sao Paulo Grand Prix as well as in Las Vegas to keep RB’s hopes of sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship alive.
There could be movement within the Red Bull programme if Mexican driver Sergio Perez doesn’t continue with the team in 2025.
This could present an opportunity for Tsunoda after honing his craft in the midfield for his time so far in Formula 1, but Alex Jacques told the F1 Nation podcast Red Bull may have concerns.
Red Bull may be worried about Yuki Tsuonda’s consistency
Tsunoda has improved this year and hit the ground running at the Italian team, scoring points in six of the first eight races.
The Japanese driver’s pace has been evident since he arrived on the Formula 1 grid but he has still made the occasional error this year.
He suffered a difficult qualifying for the Sprint Race in Qatar which led to him starting the first race of the weekend down in 17th place.
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If he were to join Red Bull, he would need to be consistently competing at the front, where the margins are much finer than at the front of the field.
Jacques explained consistency could be Red Bull’s main concern about Tsunoda despite them giving him a chance to drive the Austrian team’s car in the post-season Abu Dhabi test.
He said: “I don’t think they’ve ever rated him, truly. I think Yuki’s had four years in Formula 1 at that point because of the connection with the Honda programme. I think Yuki’s got an incredibly high ceiling of performance. I think they might worry about his consistency.”
Yuki Tsunoda is competing with Liam Lawson for the Red Bull drive
Tsunoda would be a risk for Red Bull as he hasn’t yet competed at the front of the field and would be under constant pressure alongside Max Verstappen.
Ralf Schumacher has doubts about Tsunoda, and many younger drivers, such as Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, have struggled against Verstappen before returning to the midfield.
Liam Lawson is another contender, and the New Zealander has shown impressive pace since replacing Ricciardo ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
He has also been aggressive on track and been involved in multiple duels with Perez who could be on the verge of leaving Red Bull ahead of 2025.
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