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Yuki Tsunoda is hopeful that his long wait to test a Red Bull Formula 1 car will come to an end in Abu Dhabi in December. But even with question marks about who will partner Max Verstappen at the team next year, a runout for the main team might not have much of an impact on his future.
Honda has been pushing for Tsunoda to be given a proper test in a Red Bull for some time and although it's not officially confirmed, the indications are that it will happen. Tsunoda has only ever had the chance to drive a Red Bull in demo events such as last month’s promotional event in Taiwan.
Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, recently told Autosport that it had “strongly requested that Tsunoda be given the chance to drive and test in a Red Bull car”.
Tsunoda said in the Mexican Grand Prix paddock today that “I think it will happen, but it’s a Red Bull Racing thing - [you] never know until that day”.
Combined with the fact Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has left the door open to this, it suggests that Tsunoda will get his chance in the tyre-testing car in Abu Dhabi even though he says he hasn’t been told directly it will happen.
If not, there is always the TPC (testing of previous cars) programme running the 2022 Red Bull RB18 that could accommodate a test, albeit one that would not have the same impact.
“It’s a very good opportunity,” said Tsunoda when asked by The Race about the value of driving a Red Bull.
“At least I can show a bit of my driving and the engineers can see how I’m driving. It’s very important, at least [it feels] great, finally giving me an opportunity.”
While Tsunoda is in contention for promotion to Red Bull given he’s on its books, it has long had doubts about his emotional control in the cockpit. That’s something Tsunoda himself has regularly talked about the need to improve. He’s made gains in that area, but it remains a question mark for Red Bull, both in terms of his style of communication in the cockpit and his wider technical feedback.
As Tsunoda himself admitted today, “there’s probably room that I’m not really able to improve as much as they wanted, especially for Red Bull communications”. His speed has been proven, as is the ability to produce strong grand prix weekends as he has proved with greater consistency in 2024.
Tsunoda also has the problem of Liam Lawson in the other RB. The New Zealander made a strong start to his F1 comeback at Austin with ninth place, although his startling Q1 pace and speed in the race arguably carry more weight than the result itself. As Lawson has already driven a Red Bull RB20 on two tyre test days this year, Red Bull might feel it has enough data on him with that and six 2024 outings for RB.
It's understood that the idea for Tsunoda to drive the Red Bull has been in the works for several months, which means that if it is confirmed it shouldn’t be taken as indicative that he’s getting a final test to confirm his candidacy for Red Bull Racing. There's every chance that this could be as close as he gets to an A-team race seat.
But the situation remains fluid. Sergio Perez is under contract for 2025 and recently said “I 100% will be here next year, I have a contract and I will fulfil it”.
However, both team principal Christian Horner and Marko have indicated this is far from certain. Right now, Lawson appears to be the major threat to Perez, but would need to build on his encouraging Austin performance to make an overwhelming case.
Tsunoda is regarded primarily as the yardstick for Lawson. But the chance to get into a Red Bull F1 car will at least give him the chance to change some minds, even if he remains only a long shot for promotion.
Were Lawson to get the Abu Dhabi run, it would feel more like a serious evaluation. But the mooted Tsunoda test is more about Honda than Red Bull.
