Several days after the season’s end, Red Bull has yet to confirm who will partner Max Verstappen between Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda. While the New Zealander appears to be the favorite, the Japanese driver’s performances during the post-season tests might shift the dynamics.
Yuki Tsunoda took to the track in Abu Dhabi driving the RB20 and seems to have impressed the top brass at Milton Keynes. What stood out was not so much his performance but rather his ability to provide engineers with actionable feedback on necessary adjustments. “I heard that they were impressed by my feedback. Both the trackside engineers and those at Milton Keynes were struck by the input I gave. For me, that was a very important aspect,” Yuki Tsunoda stated at Honda Racing’s end-of-season event. “I think Red Bull has no doubts about my speed but rather about my behavior and how I handle myself in the car. That’s why I’ve focused a lot on improving my communication.”
“Between Red Bull and Racing Bulls, there aren’t too many differences. The constant is the positive atmosphere in the garage, though in VCARB you feel more of the Italian influence. There’s a lot of interaction, and gestures are never lacking. At Red Bull, it feels more like being in a pub,” added the Japanese driver.
A two-way race between Lawson and Tsunoda
“At Red Bull, they pay close attention to driver feedback and value every detail. In some ways, this precision is very similar to that of the Japanese. In this regard, the two teams are somewhat different,” Tsunoda said.
So, who will partner Verstappen in 2025? “I think it’s a 50-50 chance,” the Japanese driver remarked. “If it happens, I’ll be very happy, but if not, it won’t be the end of the world. I don’t know what will happen, but my goal remains to perform well and score points. My dream? A podium at Suzuka. But to achieve that, we need to improve a lot.”
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