‘Bit childish’ Yuki Tsunoda cost himself Red Bull seat ‘long time ago’

Yuki Tsunoda’s “childish” antics over the radio are why the VCARB driver is not in line for a Red Bull promotion, says Tom Coronel.

Having arrived on the F1 grid with Red Bull ‘s junior team in 2021, Tsunoda is the longest-serving junior driver in the Faenza-based team’s history.

Have Yuki Tsunoda’s team radio rants cost him a Red Bull seat?

But while his contract is renewed year after year, he’s never once been mentioned as a candidate for the Red Bull race seat alongside Max Verstappen.

Although it did take Tsunoda a while to find his feet in Formula 1, this season the Japanese driver has been the better of the two VCARB team-mates and yet it was Daniel Ricciardo who was in the running to replace Sergio Perez had Red Bull dropped him.

Coronel reckons that’s because of Tsunoda comes across as a “bit childish” and that put Red Bull off “long ago.”

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Despite revealing Tsunoda has become one of his “favourite” drivers, the 52-year-old Dutch pundit believes the 24-year-old can be a “bit childish” and that’s wrecked his chances of a Red Bull promotion.

He told Formule 1 Magazine : “Verbally I don’t think he is ready for the top, he comes across as a bit childish at times. If he had presented himself in a slightly different way, he would have been in a Red Bull long ago.

“That’s where I have my doubts about Yuki, but on the other hand I think it’s great that he blurts everything out.”

Yuki Tsunoda is ‘prepared to break the sound barrier’

That Tsunoda has not been, nor will be, promoted to Red Bull is perhaps a loss for Formula 1 fans as Coronel reckons the Japanese driver has the X-factor.

Declaring the 24-year-old is not only fast, the Dutchman says he has flare and is always up for the fight.

“But apart from that, this guy from VCARB can really step on the gas. He dares to take risks,” he said.

“Yuki is a flamboyant driver, he has fire in him. He shows things that sometimes make me think: ‘Hoppa! That’s what we want to see from Formula 1 drivers!’

“You always see Yuki fighting in the car. He squeezes the car around the corner in a headlock, I think that’s cool. There are plenty of drivers who look like Knight Rider, very smooth.

“But when I see him driving, I think: that’s a fighter, someone with the kill factor who goes for it and is prepared to break the sound barrier at the last minute.

“Compare it to running when you’re exhausted in the last kilometre, but you keep going. He has that in the superlative and I think that’s cool!”

With everything pointing to Tsunoda being passed over for a Red Bull seat, he was asked about that at the Hungaroring about whether he felt ready to step up to Red Bull.

“Yeah,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com. “If I’m not ready, I wouldn’t have been able to announce next season at least for even VCARB.

“I’ve been feeling ready for the last three years to fight against the top teams, higher positions, even with Max or whatever.

“But in the end, they’re the ones who are going to decide and it’s not the things I can control.”

Asked point blank if he thought he deserved the seat next to Verstappen, Tsunoda replied: “Yes!”

Red Bull, however, made the call after the Belgian Grand Prix to continue with Perez as Verstappen’s team-mate “after the summer break” with Tsunoda and Ricciardo staying at VCARB.

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