F1 Rumour: Red Bull Turns Nose Up At Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda's Japanese links might cause Red Bull to look elsewhere for a Perez replacement.

Reports suggest that Red Bull is not considering Yuki Tsunoda's entry into the team for the coming year or 2025. The AlphaTauri driver was one of the ideal candidates for a Sergio Perez replacement in the eyes of many. However, as per Luke Smith of The Athletic, that isn't happening. 

The primary reason is that Tsunoda has links with Honda who would be working with Aston Martin from 2026. Red Bull might not view such ties in their favour. In addition, options for a Perez replacement could also push Red Bull to look in a direction away from AlphaTauri and consider potential juniors who have high chances of being promoted to Formula 1. Smith wrote: 

"As for the future Red Bull seat? It’s very early days. The indications from Red Bull in the past have been that Tsunoda isn’t someone they’re looking at seriously to step up in the near future.

"I’ll be interested to see if that changes next year when Tsunoda and Ricciardo — assuming both continue with AlphaTauri — run a full season together. Ricciardo is a known quantity for Red Bull; his return will tell it as much about Tsunoda as it will about Ricciardo.

"Should Red Bull decide to look at driver options other than Pérez for 2025, it will surely consider available options, not just those racing for AlphaTauri. Checo proves they’re not afraid to look elsewhere and bring someone in with decent success."

Red Bull juniors who have a chance of entering Formula 1 with Red Bull include current reserve driver (for both teams) Liam Lawson, Enzo Fittipaldi, Dennis Hauger, and Zane Maloney.