Red Bull has yet to officially decide its driver lineup for the 2025 season. With Sergio Perez seemingly on his way out, the question remains who will be promoted to partner four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Former Red Bull driver Pierre Gasly believes Yuki Tsunoda “deserves a chance” to prove himself alongside the Dutchman. The Frenchman, who previously raced alongside Max in Red Bull colors before being demoted back to what was then Toro Rosso, later teamed up with Yuki Tsunoda during his stint at AlphaTauri. According to Pierre Gasly, the Japanese driver has earned a shot with the “main team.”
Pierre Gasly’s comments
In an interview with *RacingNews365*, Pierre Gasly spoke about Yuki Tsunoda’s chances of joining Max Verstappen next season:
“It’s a tough question. I think, performance-wise, he deserves a chance. He seems to have improved a lot since joining F1. He performed very well this season and also last year. He’s beaten his teammates. From that perspective, considering Red Bull’s program, it makes sense to give him an opportunity.”
“Ultimately, we know that performance alone doesn’t dictate decisions with top teams. It depends on what Christian Horner and Helmut Marko want to do. Personally, I’d like to see him there, but I know it’s not that simple. However, if you ask me purely from a performance standpoint, yes, I think he deserves a chance.”
As Pierre Gasly noted, performance isn’t everything in Formula 1. Sponsorships and financial backing are also crucial factors. Currently, Franco Colapinto appears to have an edge over competitors thanks to the strong support from his South American sponsors, who have followed him to Williams and would likely back him at any future team.
It remains to be seen whether Yuki Tsunoda will replace Checo Perez or if Red Bull will surprise everyone with a different announcement.
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