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Yuki Tsunoda finally gets to drive a Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car in the Abu Dhabi test today, but it seems destined to be a token curiosity gesture as his RB team-mate Liam Lawson is poised to replace Sergio Perez next season while Tsunoda stays put at the junior team.
But Tsunoda's current bosses seem pretty convinced Red Bull's doubts about him are misplaced and he deserves a chance at the top team, as their comments over the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend made clear:
Senior figures at Yuki Tsunoda’s RB team believe he is ready for a seat at Red Bull Racing - with team principal Laurent Mekies claiming “it would be a lie” to say otherwise.
Red Bull is expected to make a driver change after Sergio Perez’s disappointing season and key meetings will take place after Abu Dhabi to work out the direction this goes in.
Even though Perez has a deal running to the end of 2026 Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has said in Abu Dhabi that “until the situation is clear with Sergio and what he wants to do, everything else is purely speculation”.
It has been hinted on several occasions that the emphasis is on Perez to either retire or force Red Bull’s hand. He started 2024 brightly although his downturn had already commenced when Red Bull announced in early June he had a new deal – Horner said that was done “in order to settle his mind” but has admitted that “obviously didn't work”.
Entering the Abu Dhabi season finale, Liam Lawson was considered the favourite to replace Perez as Red Bull believes he has good potential and is mentally strong.
But Lawson lacks experience – Abu Dhabi is only his 11th grand prix – and has been outqualified by Tsunoda at all six of the races he has contested since replacing Daniel Ricciardo for the final part of the season.
Red Bull recognises that Tsunoda is fast but is concerned he could not handle being Max Verstappen’s team-mate, believing him to be too emotional and prone to mistakes under pressure.
It has previously dismissed Tsunoda’s participation in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for Red Bull as a favour to engine partner and not something that will be used to evaluate Tsunoda as a 2025 driver.
In Abu Dhabi though, Tsunoda’s RB team boss Mekies and racing director Alan Permane have both spoken favourably about the qualities that Red Bull seems to doubt.
Asked by The Race for his feedback on Tsunoda and if he is ready for the Red Bull environment specifically, Mekies said: “It’s a fair question. If a driver performs at the level of speed that he's performing right now, it would be a lie to tell you that he's not ready for something even faster. It would be a lie.
“He has put that car in P3 in Brazil, in P7 in Vegas on the grid. Who am I to tell you that he's not ready to get a faster car? Of course he's ready to get a faster car.
“In terms of what he has been doing [out of the] car, yes, he has made a huge improvement as well, both in terms of feedback and in terms of controlling his emotions.
“Every team situation is different, but I think to tell you, ‘no, no, I don't think he's ready’ for an environment or another, I will not be able to tell you that.
“You could say that another [driver] has another set of skills that is as ready or as good for that environment.
“But for sure, both drivers today are ready to go to the next steps.”
That final answer indicates Mekies would back either of Tsunoda and Lawson for a Red Bull drive. And the support of Lawson – who Permane has described as “the real deal” – is consistent with Red Bull’s view that it is impressive for the New Zealander to have been so close to Tsunoda, even though he could not outqualify him, because of the experience gap and how fast Tsunoda is.
But that does not, or should not, detract from Tsunoda’s own merits. Permane, a long-time member of ‘Team Enstone’ who has worked with many top drivers including Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, said he has been “pleasantly surprised” by Tsunoda since working with him for the first time this year.
“He’s super quick,” Permane said.
“He’s able to get the most out of the car generally all the time, especially over a single lap. His qualifying pace has been very good.
“I was also surprised by his feedback. His English is excellent.
“All you tend to hear when you’re not in the team is his frustrations, and I think that gets highlighted a lot.
“That is an area where, if you talk about weaknesses, that is a weakness of his. And he knows that, and he’s working hard on that.
“But in terms of pace and feedback, and short run, long run pace, he’s good, and he’s improved through the year.”
If Tsunoda is not promoted to Red Bull he will contest a fifth season at its second team instead, as Red Bull exercised an option to extend his contract for another year back in the early summer.
That came when Tsunoda was known to have attracted interest from other team bosses including then-Audi F1 CEO Andreas Seidl and Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu.
Red Bull’s position is essentially that Tsunoda is an excellent option for its second team, which it is trying to make consistently more competitive, and would be a great reference for other young drivers.
But spurning Tsunoda for a driver with considerably less experience would send a message that he has no top-level Red Bull future himself, especially with engine partner Honda – Tsunoda’s main backer for most of his career – leaving at the end of 2025 to join Aston Martin, which has no seat available for Tsunoda at present.
Mekies believes that his team can still offer Tsunoda sufficient motivation, though. He said there are two ways to do that: give Tsunoda “a fast car” to fight for points in every race, and give him the chance to earn a better drive in the future.
“Whatever happens next, it doesn't mean that it's a definitive answer for any future promotion,” said Mekies.
“Not only will we be trying to give him a fast car but also he or Liam, if you invert the scenario, will still get the season to demonstrate [they can take] the next step.
“It's the same for both of these guys, because it is natural that anyone who will not get the promotion will be disappointed. If both don't get the promotion, they will both be disappointed. But the same will apply in that case.
“A, give them a fast car. B, let's not forget that they will get another chance if they make another step of the magnitude of what they have been showing this year.”
RB CEO Peter Bayer supported Mekies’ position and said he is “extremely happy” both Tsunoda and Lawson are in the Red Bull frame, given Red Bull Racing has sometimes opted against promoting drivers from the second team – including taking Perez for 2021 when Alex Albon was sidelined.
“It wouldn't be honest to say that it wouldn't hurt one of the two,” Bayer admitted.
“If you're not chosen, it will make you think for a moment.
“But at the same time you sleep over it, and then you still realise that you're one of 20 chosen ones who have a seat in Formula 1, who have a seat with support, to have opportunities to grow and to show your value.
“That's something that, probably after a short Christmas break, people will understand where the journey is going.”
