Red Bull’s plans
Following recent performances where Franco Colapinto has exhibited the typical struggles of a rookie—despite his speed—Red Bull has revealed a shift in its 2025 driver development strategy. It seems almost certain that Sergio Perez will lose his seat due to his disappointing season, with Liam Lawson emerging as the leading candidate to partner Max Verstappen.
Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, is expected to remain with Racing Bulls for another year, where Isaac Hadjar is likely to make his debut. The Anglo-Austrian team appears committed to prioritizing its young drivers, marking a departure from recent years when it relied on veterans like Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo.
And then Guanyu Zhou?
According to Michael Schmidt of *Auto, Motor und Sport*, Red Bull plans to conduct private tests using cars at least a year old (regulated as TPC tests) to develop its young talent.
In the past, the team refrained from private testing due to the high costs associated with Honda’s power units. However, Red Bull has reportedly devised a solution: negotiations with Guanyu Zhou, who recently secured 8th place in Qatar but was dropped by Sauber-Audi.
Guanyu Zhou would stay active as a private test driver while enabling Red Bull to train its promising talent, Arvid Lindblad, on whom the team places significant hopes for the future.
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