Yuki Tsunoda states Red Bull F1 2025 case after Daniel Ricciardo ‘shootout’ victory

Yuki Tsunoda says he’s hopeful of changing Red Bull Racing’s mind over taking him on as a teammate to Max Verstappen in F1 2025.

Tsunoda emerged on top of the teammate battle between himself and Daniel Ricciardo, but doesn’t appear to be a serious candidate to step up to the Red Bull Racing team any time soon.

Yuki Tsunoda: I just have to keep proving myself

While Tsunoda has emerged as a team leader at the second Red Bull team over the past seasons, comfortably seeing off the underwhelming Nyck de Vries and then proving more than capable against Daniel Ricciardo during the Australian’s second chance in F1, the Japanese driver has never emerged as a likely candidate for a seat alongside Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez is under contract with Red Bull Racing for F1 2025, but his future is not certain as his performance levels have resulted in Red Bull struggling to hang onto McLaren in an increasingly difficult fight in the Constructors’ Championship.

Liam Lawson has emerged as a possible candidate for the seat alongside Verstappen, should the Kiwi prove impressive in the final six races of this season after being switched into Ricciardo’s seat, but Tsunoda said he feels like he simply must continue to focus on being as good as he possibly can be and hope it’s enough to change Red Bull’s mind.

“I think it’s kind of like the situation already from Daniel,” Tsunoda told media, including PlanetF1.com, in the paddock in Austin when asked about whether he feels he’s a possibility for the seat.

“I mean, to be honest, the Red Bull thing is always floating around anyways. To be honest, I got used to it.

“I don’t think there’s a point talking about it and, anyway, I just have to keep proving myself as a result and how I work throughout the race weeks.

“So yeah, I just keep focusing on what I have to do and those opportunities, whatever stuff, it’s up to them and see how it goes.”

Put to him by PlanetF1.com that he has emerged as the stable performer at VCARB over the past two years, and why he believes that is, Tsunoda said: “Obviously, I make sure that I can show them that I have potential, that I have a lot more room that will come in future.

“I was proving since the first year and, obviously, it didn’t go well initially.

“But, at some races, I showed them that I have potential, and I gained that back that I’m actually doing it, I’m improving it.

“This junior team, like maybe not now, but that’s the most important thing because I guess there’s a bit more flexibility – especially in first two years that can have mistakes – but I think I made sure to keep improving and that you can improve. I think that’s the most important thing.”

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Yuki Tsunoda: There are key things Red Bull want to see

A key weakness of Yuki Tsunoda has long been expressed by management at Red Bull and at VCARB, related to Tsunoda’s infamous emotional control – or lack thereof.

The Japanese driver became well-known for his frequent outbursts of temper during his formative years in F1 and, while he is much calmer nowadays, there are still flashes of that temper on occasion – including earlier this year in Bahrain against Ricciardo.

Asked if he believes he’s answered the calls from Red Bull to improve in the areas they wish, Tsunoda said: “I hope so. Yeah, I thought also that when Daniel was my teammate, it was kind of like that. But so far, it seems not.

“But, hopefully, after Daniel, things happen, hopefully, they change their mind a little bit.

“I’m sure there are a couple of things – key things that they want to see that, as a driver, I improve in the next six races.

“I kind of already knew that since the first half of the season. And yeah, I just have to show them. And yeah, just keep proving yourself.

“I just have to be a driver, that there are not much things that there’s left for them they can blame me for, things that I didn’t improve or is lacking. Just trying to be close to the perfect driver, that’s what I’m aiming for.”

With six races to go in F1 2024, Tsunoda now has the added difficult of a young and hungry teammate in Liam Lawson, and says it’s “maybe” like a six-race shoot-out between the pair to become the favoured option within VCARB.

“From the first race this year already onwards, it’s kind of a shootout between me and Daniel, which is going to be ahead all the time,” he said.

“For me, it’s part of the whole season, and it’s built already – these points that we built, including Daniel, that P6 right now in the championship and, if we weren’t able to achieve, I’ll get very frustrated end of the season.”

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