Yuki Tsunoda will debut for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix after Liam Lawson was ruthlessly swapped by the team. Lawson has struggled to get to grips with the RB21 in the opening two races. Red Bull hopes Yuki Tsunoda’s four years of experience will help turn their season around and unlock the car’s potential.
However, Tsunoda was snubbed in the winter once Red Bull announced Sergio Perez would be leaving. Team advisor Helmut Marko has claimed that former designer Adrian Newey blocked Yuki’s path to the senior team.
Adrian Newey saw Yuki Tsunoda as a “red rag”
Yuki Tsunoda was expected to be named as Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull for the 2025 season. However, the Austrian team promoted Liam Lawson instead. The Kiwi struggled to adapt to the RB21, and his lack of experience showed. The New Zealander had only competed in eleven races before this season’s curtain raiser. However, Yuki Tsunoda has a wealth of experience.
Team advisor Helmut Marko has now claimed that former Red Bull design supremo Adrian Newey is to blame for Tsunoda not being promoted. The Austrian says Newey believed Yuki was a “red flag” and should not go to the senior team.
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Speaking to Kleine Zeitung, Marko said: “Generell ist aber viel auf einen einzigen Vorfall zurückzuführen. In Silverstone fuhr Tsunoda einmal Pierre Gasly ins Auto, Teile der Autos auf der Strecke beschädigten in der Folge den Unterboden des Autos von Verstappen, der dadurch das Rennen verloren hat. Adrian Newey war damals fuchsteufelswild. Für ihn war Yuki ab diesem Zeitpunkt ein rotes Tuch. Jetzt ist Newey aber weg und Yuki hat sehr an sich gearbeitet.”
[“A lot can be traced back to a single incident. At Silverstone, Tsunoda once drove into Pierre Gasly’s car. Parts of the cars on the track damaged the underbody of Verstappen’s car. That cost him the race. Adrian Newey was furious at the time. From that point on, Yuki was a red rag to him. But now Newey is gone, and Yuki has worked hard on himself.”]
Now that Tsunoda has been promoted, he needs to excel. Despite getting the nod to partner Verstappen, he is still out of contract at the end of the season. To remain in the top team, Yuki must adapt to the new car and get results fast. Liam Lawson is waiting in the wings, and with a year to learn and improve, he will be putting pressure on the Japanese racer.
Red Bull has five races to catch McLaren
Red Bull has struggled in the opening two races this season. With Lawson failing to score a point, Red Bull currently sits 42 points behind McLaren in the standings, and the Milton Keynes-based team are slower than their Papaya rivals. Helmut Marko believes the team must change their fortunes quickly or risk being left behind by McLaren.
The Austrian said: “We need to quickly deliver updates that actually work. Of course, they come in batches, and if a part doesn’t work, we have to fix it. To win the World Championship, however, these improvements definitely have to happen in the next five races, otherwise it will be too late.”
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McLaren is currently the team to beat. Last season, they won the development war to overtake Red Bull as the fastest car. Catching them will be difficult for the Austrian team, which saw chief design legend Adrian Newey leave last season.
But what Red Bull does have is Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion will be instrumental in changing the team’s fortunes. The Dutchman expressed what needs changing in the RB21 at an emergency meeting held last week. The question will be if Red Bull can produce the goods, or is it too late to catch McLaren?
