Time is running out before Red Bull will be forced to make a decision on their 2025 driver pairing, with questions surrounding Sergio Perez’s future.
By all means, it looks like that Mexican will no longer be on the grid despite holding a contract, as a result of his very bad performances.
He has been criticised for his mistakes, including a silly one at the Qatar Grand Prix which ended up costing his team some points.
Now it appears taht it’s a showdown between Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda for a promotion to the senior team.
Christian Horner has ‘not ever’ overly praised Yuki Tsunoda
If the two main options are weighed up for Red Bull, it’s clear that Tsunoda is the better option for them in 2025 at least.
Lawson is a raw prospect with just 10 races under his belt, and needs time to develop behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
READ MORE: How Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull sim times compare to Max Verstappen’s amid 2025 promotion talk
Tsunoda is consistent, has ironed out a lot of his early teething problems and has 86 races of experience – it’s unlikely that he will ever be more ready than he is now.
However, Jake Boxall-Legge told the Autosport podcast that there’s one thing that indicates why Red Bull will end up going in the other direction with their dirver choice.
“The issue here is Christian Horner doesn’t seem to rate Tsunoda particularly highly. He’s not ever spoken particularly glowingly of him.
“Not in a sort of, I don’t want to overdo it kind of way, but in a he genuinely doesn’t think he’s up to much kind of way. That’s the disappointing factor.”
Why one more race could change Red Bull’s mind
The upcoming season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix hands Tsunoda one final opportunity to prove why he is the future for Red Bull.
For starters, he has led the AlphaTauri/VCARB team ever since Pierre Gasly left in 2022 – delierving many points finishes and establishing himself as a clear midfield threat.
He has even been slightly better than Lawson since he returned, and if the Kiwi suffers in the Middle East, there’s a chance that the Milton Keynes-based outfit will send it on Tsunoda.
READ MORE: Why Red Bull’s 2025 car might not be ‘technically suitable’ for Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda
Lawson does have an advantage though, with an extra practice session for him to prepare for the race, as Tsunoda is being replaced by Ayumu Iwasa on Friday.
But that won’t affect him too much, safe in teh knowledge that he secured his best ever result of fourth around the circuit back in 2021 – the very chaotic finale.
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