F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda Sets Sights On Red Bull As Fight Begins With Sergio Perez

The Japanese driver would welcome a spot in Red Bull.

Yuki Tsunoda so far this season has demonstrated respectable progress on the track despite not having the most competitive car from AlphaTauri. Although he has only amassed two points so far, Red Bull is observing the Japanese driver's increasing proficiency behind the wheel, hinting at a potential upgrade to a seat beside Max Verstappen. Tsunoda, a protege of Honda, no longer fears competition from Nyck de Vries, but he might have to watch out for Daniel Ricciardo.

Rumours suggest that if Red Bull decides to replace Sergio Perez, Tsunoda could potentially fill the gap. Speaking to Total-Motorsport, Tsunoda discussed a potential move: 

"As a driver, it’s good to have attention from other teams, but for now, I am happy with AlphaTauri.

"[They’ve] supported over the last few years, so I am not considering other teams. If there’s an opportunity to go to Red Bull, that will be amazing.

"But like I said, [I am] not thinking too much about [2024], and there’s not much reason to go outside AlphaTauri."

Christian Horner, team boss of Red Bull Racing, has repeatedly assured fans that Perez's position is not in jeopardy. Interestingly, the Austrian team has placed Ricciardo, their former reserve driver at Red Bull, at AlphaTauri for the remainder of the season in de Vries' seat 

It's a safe bet to assume that the Milton Keynes squad will be watching Ricciardo's performance with the sister team closely. This implies Tsunoda might have more competition for the coveted seat in the future; not just Perez, but also Ricciardo.

However, given Tsunoda's current pace, the Italian team is unlikely to push him out. As Tsunoda confidently stated: 

"I don’t have to worry much about the contract. I’m focusing now more on what I have to do in the race to deliver the results." 

From my point of view, they're certainly going to be watching Ricciardo's pace in AlphaTauri, but this move may well have been to put more pressure on Checo without needing to say a word. The Mexican driver now knows the Red Bull is more than capable of making brash decisions, and that is maybe much more important than anything else the AlphaTauri team could do right now.