With the 2024 season concluded, there is still one seat that is left open for the 2025 season – the 2nd Racing Bulls seat. However, unofficially, there are 2 seats that are yet to be finalized as Red Bull is not sure if they want to continue with Sergio Perez in the team. Yuki Tsunoda has addressed his chances of occupying the 2nd Red Bull seat next year.
This past year has been very difficult for Sergio Perez as he has not been able to keep up with the pace of his teammate. Normally this wouldn’t affect the team too much. However, Perez has not even been able to keep up with the other top teams, such as McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. This has cost Red Bull the Constructors’ Championship where they only finished 3rd. So it’s no surprise that Red Bull is considering a change in their driver lineup.
Tsunoda addresses his potential promotion to Red Bull Racing
After the season, Yuki Tsunoda drove the RB20 during the post-season test held in Abu Dhabi. After the test, he addressed his chances of driving next to Max Verstappen in Red Bull next year.
“I think the chances are 50-50. Of course, I’d be happiest if I could drive for Red Bull, but I’m incredibly grateful for all the support I’m receiving from everyone in this current situation.
“Regardless of which team I’m with, what I need to do remains the same. It’s not just about Red Bull. For all we know, VCARB might surpass them in development. It’s not like it absolutely has to be Red Bull.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just want to perform well and score points. Standing on the podium at Suzuka would be the ultimate dream. But, to achieve that, I want to help build a better car and a better team someday.
“Until that time comes, I hope everyone can be patient.”
When Yuki first started in this sport with AlphaTauri, he was an average driver, but eager to learn. But in these past 2 years, Yuki has proven to be a strong and confident driver. He has also got his temper issues under control while in the cockpit, making him a more mature driver. But is this enough to convince Red Bull?
If Red Bull are getting rid of Perez, they will consider both Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. Although Lawson drove only for just 6 races in 2024, he showed that he also deserves to be considered for the Red Bull seat for next year. As it stands, Lawson doesn’t have a contract to drive in F1 next year. However, it is an open secret that he will race in F1 next year. The only question is which team will he race for?
Tsunoda thinks the chances are 50-50 between the 2 drivers. This is technically true. However, Red Bull can choose only one of them if Perez does not continue with them. This can be a very challenging decision for the team. It will be interesting to see what decision they make.
Red Bull impressed with Yuki Tsunoda after Post-Season test
After the post-season test at Abu Dhabi, Tsunoda claimed that the team were impressed with his outing in the RB20.
“I heard a lot about how impressed they were, particularly with my feedback.” Tsunoda said.
“This came not only from the trackside engineers but also from the engineers supporting remotely from Red Bull’s factory in Milton Keynes. They mentioned how impressed they were with my input.
Yuki getting strapped into a Red Bull for the first time #F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/1aOPOnu6pe
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) December 10, 2024
“That area was a key target for me. I believe Red Bull already understands that my speed isn’t much of an issue. Instead, what they’re more focused on is things like my feedback, my behaviour within the team, and how I conduct myself in the car. They probably saw those areas as the biggest unknowns.
“So while keeping that in mind, I continued to provide feedback as I always have, aiming to communicate as thoroughly and with as much detail as possible.”
Given that Yuki is now entering his 5th year in F1, he needs to be able to give proper feedback on the car’s performance so the team can improve and keep pushing. Knowing that a potential 2025 seat at Red Bull is at stake here, Yuki made sure that he impressed the team with his feedback.
With just over 2 months left for the pre-season test in Bahrain, both the Red Bull teams need to confirm what their lineup is going to be for the season. Do you think Yuki Tsunoda has done enough to earn a seat at Red Bull Racing? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
