Yuki Tsunoda ‘volatile’ and ‘inconsistent’ with Sergio Perez Red Bull decline theory busted

1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve claims Sergio Perez has not declined, rather Max Verstappen stepped it up, but if Red Bull opted for a change, Yuki Tsunoda is not the solution.

Perez has, in F1 2024, suffered a major slump in form which mirrored his 2023 drop-off, to the point where Red Bull were fuelling speculation of a possible driver swap over the summer break, with McLaren slashing their Constructors’ Championship lead to 42 points.

Jacques Villeneuve against Yuki Tsunoda to Red Bull move

However, Villeneuve argues that Perez has not gone off the boil. Rather, he points to Perez’s team-mate Verstappen raising his game, with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari having all joined the winners’ circle so far in F1 2024, the days of Verstappen and Red Bull dominance having come to an abrupt halt.

“There is a lack of judgement of the Sergio Perez situation,” Villeneuve told InstantCasino .

“I don’t think Perez is worse than he was two years ago, but Max Verstappen has had to step up so the gap between the two has increased.

“Perez is finding it much harder to drive this car, and so is Verstappen, but we’re seeing the Verstappen who won his first championship this season.”

F1 2024 stats: How Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez compare

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Perez has been retained for after the summer break by Red Bull, though his future with the team remains uncertain as he strives to recapture some much-needed form.

But, if Red Bull did want to replace Perez, then Villeneuve sees no option within their current pool of drivers who would be up to the task.

VCARB’s Tsunoda was overlooked for a promotion once more when Red Bull were assessing their options, despite currently delivering his strongest form yet in Formula 1, scoring 22 points to eight-time race-winning team-mate Daniel Ricciardo’s 12.

However, Villeneuve argues that Tsunoda remains too “volatile” and “inconsistent” to drive for Red Bull.

Tsunoda developed a reputation for his fiery persona at times over team radio and on the track, due to incidents like his divebomb on Ricciardo during the 2024 Bahrain GP cooldown lap, though Tsunoda has taken positive steps in controlling his emotions.

“In the Red Bull family now, there’s no suitable replacement for Sergio Perez,” claimed Villeneuve.

“Yuki Tsunoda is still a volatile driver. He’s a bit more controlled than he was in the past, but he’s still inconsistent. Liam Lawson doesn’t have the experience to replace him, we don’t know if he can make that step.”

While Tsunoda’s future with the Red Bull junior team VCARB is secure for F1 2025, the driver who will occupy the second seat is yet to be confirmed.

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