Yuki Tsunoda Receives Further Blow After Missing Out On Red Bull F1 Seat

Saajan Jogia | 19 Hours Ago

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; RB racing driver Yuki Tsunoda (22) walks into the team village in advance of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda's prospects within the Red Bull family suffered another blow as Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed that Tsunoda's new teammate, Isack Hadjar, outpaced him during Red Bull's post-season test in the RB20 F1 car. Horner’s statement follows his earlier "bridesmaid" comment about the Japanese driver, casting further doubt on Tsunoda's future with both Red Bull and its junior Formula 1 team, VCARB.

Tsunoda and Liam Lawson were both in contention for a promotion to Red Bull, but Lawson ultimately secured the spot following the team's announcement of Sergio Perez's departure. Despite Tsunoda's consistent performances and a strong showing in the RB20 during post-season testing, the decision was reportedly made by Red Bull and its shareholders. Replacing Lawson at VCARB is Hadjar, the Formula 2 championship runner-up, who narrowly lost the title to Gabriel Bortoleto. Bortoleto will join the Sauber F1 team next season.

Tsunoda’s VCARB contract runs through the end of 2025, aligning with Red Bull’s partnership with power unit supplier Honda, which has been a strong supporter of Tsunoda. Leaving aside his potential promotion to Red Bull in the future, Horner revealed that five years was too long a duration for a driver to remain in a support team and questioned if it made sense to keep Tsunoda beyond 2025. He said:

“We're acutely aware that if we're not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki – being, in all honesty, this year [2025] - does it make sense [to keep him]?

“You can't have a driver in the support team for five years. You can't always be the bridesmaid.

“You've either got to let them go at that point or look at something different.”

Tsunoda's chances of a future promotion might seem to be diminishing by the day, and Horner's comments about Hadjar's pace might suggest he is next in line for a move to Red Bull if a requirement arises in the future. The Red Bull team boss said:

“Isack is another talent.

“He's quick. He jumped in the car, he was faster than Yuki in the test last week, which turned heads.”

He added:

“He’s definitely a raw talent and needs a little bit of polishing, but he has the speed.

“He was unfortunate in Formula 2 to miss out at the last race due to technical glitches with start line software, from what I understand.

“But he’s impressed as well, particularly with his speed. It will be interesting to see how things pan out.”