Yuki Tsunoda appears to have improved his chances of grabbing a Red Bull seat in the 2025 Formula One season.
The Japanese driver has shone in the post-race Abu Dhabi test, with speculation surrounding Sergio Perez’s future and a decision forthcoming from Christian Horner.
Max Verstappen has described the criticism of Perez as “harsh”, with Tsunoda under consideration to replace ‘Checo’. Yet one of the reasons to look for an alternative to Tsunoda was largely dismissed in Abu Dhabi, with adviser Helmut Marko promising news in the next week.
“On the question of what the driver pairing will look like next year, we will have news in the next days,” Marko said in his Speedweek.com column.
“There is much speculation and also sums being cited as possible transfer fees that are complete nonsense.”
Tsunoda’s occasional RB team-mate Liam Lawson is primed to take the seat, should Perez be pushed out the exit, with those inside Red Bull reportedly impressed by how close the pair are during the early stages of the New Zealand driver’s F1 career.
But another negative to selecting Tsunoda appears to have been dismissed by Marko, with question marks over his composure, which would be tested further alongside such a dominant teammate in Verstappen.
Marko claims Tsunoda has impressed the team during testing, proving that the 24-year-old could provide valuable feedback to his engineers and therefore enhancing his chances of winning the coveted seat.
“The team was happy with his technical feedback,” Marko added. “In this regard he is far better than it is said.”
Tsunoda also left testing confident he had left a good impression: “The feedback was an unknown factor for them, so that's where we focused and we tried to communicate as many details as possible.
“I heard they were impressed, especially with my feedback. That came not only from the engineers at the track, but also from the engineers who were providing remote support from the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes. They said they were impressed with my input.
“I think the chances are 50-50. Of course I would be happiest if I could drive for Red Bull, but I am incredibly grateful for all the support I get from everyone in this current situation.
“No matter which team I’m in, what I have to do is the same. It’s not just about Red Bull. VCARB can easily overtake them in development, so it doesn’t have to be Red Bull.
“I don’t know what will happen, but I just want to perform well and score points. To be 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 one day. Until then, I hope everyone is patient.”
