With just two race weekends left in the 2024 season RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson face uncertainty regarding their prospects of a promotion to Red Bull.
While Sergio Pérez is officially under contract for 2025, his recent form and string of underwhelming results has cast doubts over his career.
Although Max Verstappen has managed to clinch his fourth consecutive Drivers’ title, Red Bull’s performance has steadily declined.
The Milton Keynes-based team has slipped to third in the Constructors’ standings while McLaren and Ferrari are poised to take the battle to the wire.
This has reignited speculation regarding Perez’s future at the team and a possible replacement.
Red Bull juniors Lawson and Tsunoda both appear to be both strong candidates for the coveted seat. However, Tsunoda’s frustration is mounting as he finds himself continually overlooked by the Red Bull bosses.
Tsunoda not sure “what more he can do” to impress the Red Bull higher-ups
The Japanese driver was the unexpected standout of the mixed conditions qualifying session in Brazil, securing a career-high third, which he managed to hang onto in the opening laps of the thrilling race.
Lawson was not far behind, qualifying fifth and crossing the line 9th for a RB double points finish.
Tsunoda’s strong form continued in last week’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he finished ahead of both Lawson and Perez and added another two crucial points to RB’s tally in the fight for P6.
Despite all this—having outlasted several more experienced teammates—Tsunoda has never seemed to be Christian Horner nor Helmut Marko’s top pick for the Red Bull seat.
After four seasons with the sister team under his belt and no call-up in sight, Tsunoda is growing agitated.
“P7 is pretty good,” he said on Thursday, reflecting on his Vegas qualifying performance.
“The thing is, Pierre did a P3, so that made it a little bit less bright, but I was still P7. Between McLaren is pretty good, I guess, and quite close to Max [Verstappen] as well.
“I mean, not just last week, I guess throughout the years, I think I’m showing [I’m] quite good. It’s up to them and I’ve just got to do whatever I can to…
“Hopefully there’s not much reason why they don’t want to put me in the Red Bull.
“So [in the] next two races, I’m just going to keep what I’m doing, try to show my performance consistently.”
Abu Dhabi test unlikely to be a game-changer
Tsunoda will have the opportunity to climb behind the wheel of a Red Bull car at the post-season test session in Abu Dhabi next month.
However, the Japanese driver isn’t convinced that the test will prove to be a game-changer, insisting that performing well during regular race weekends carries more significance.
“For now, what I can imagine, a test is just a test,” Tsunoda said.
“I mean, throughout the year so far, how they’re seeing me, Red Bull, I feel like the test is just a test.
“Hopefully the test will maybe add a bit more… a better impression, a better picture of exactly who I am as a driver.
“But I think the next two races are definitely more important to be in that mix, talking about those seats.”
Tsunoda questions whether he is actually “in the mix”
Asked if he felt he was genuinely in contention for a Red Bull seat, Tsunoda quipped: “I don’t know. Please could you interview them and find out?
“To be honest, I don’t know. Even, whatever they say in interviews, even if they say ‘oh, Yuki is in the mix’, I don’t know if that’s the truth or not, to be honest.
“I hope I’m in the mix. And if not, I don’t know what I should do more than this.
“I’ll just keep pushing, doing the things that I control. And those things, the Red Bull seat, they decide it.”
Tsunoda feels that if he were driving alongside Verstappen, Red Bull would not have sunk as low in the Constructors’, adding that he may have been passed over due to “politics”.
“I’m sure if I’d be in the seat, I could definitely fight for higher Constructors’ championship [position] and what they want. Other things, politics things, they decide what they want.”
Internal changes at Red Bull
Tsunoda pointed out that Red Bull has avoided promoting internally from within their own pool of junior drivers since they signed Pérez to partner Verstappen in 2021.
Gasly and Albon, who raced alongside Verstappen in 2019 and 2020, have since left the Red Bull family, building careers at Alpine and Williams respectively.
Tsunoda suggested Red Bull has experienced an internal shift, potentially triggered by Dietrich Mateschitz’s passing two years ago.
“Historically, I mean it’s pretty natural that if—for example, in our team—one of the drivers outperforms the other driver like this consistently [over] the last few years, [he gets] promoted. It’s kind of the natural thing.
“Maybe something changed, maybe the dynamics changed…maybe Red Bull itself changed after Mr Mateschitz passed away. I don’t know.
“They still have… one driver who got a Drivers’ championship and the team has had success for quite a long time, so what they are doing is not a bad thing, I guess, but it doesn’t really make much sense for me that I haven’t really been in the mix much so far.
“From myself, at least, I can’t find much reason that they are not really talking about me heavily. But let’s see.”
Tsunoda “got used to” being overlooked for Red Bull promotion
The 24-year old admitted he has gotten used to being passed over for a potential promotion to Red Bull as speculation around Pérez’s future cyclically grew and then fizzled out over the years.
Tsunoda explained that, between him and Daniel Ricciardo, he expected one of them to be eventually chosen for a Red Bull seat.
Instead, the Aussie was sidelined permanently after Singapore, while Tsunoda found himself back alongside an equally in-limbo Lawson.
“To me, I’ve got used to it,” he said.
“Throughout the years…I thought, you know, what I’ve done…Especially since Daniel [Ricciardo], I thought it was like if either one of you does really well, you’ll go to Red Bull. Whatever, didn’t really happen.
“Unfortunately, this is the situation or I guess the dynamics of how Red Bull works.
“Maybe they’re facing difficult things in the background that we don’t know, but I’ve just got to force them [to consider me] with my performances.”
Asked whether a potential promotion may be dependent on where RB finishes in the Constructors’ standings, Tsunoda argued that it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
“Constructors’ is not just about me.
“I’ll feel definitely responsible as a driver myself if we didn’t score, if we [aren’t] able to achieve P6, because maybe a couple of races I could have done better.
Much like with the upcoming Abu Dhabi test, Tsunoda doesn’t believe P6 is the key to the coveted Red Bull seat.
“I’ll do as much as I can. I take it that way, I guess. And hopefully if I score P6, that will give a better reason to put me in the Red Bull seat.”
Lawson has two F1 race weekends left to secure a seat for 2025
While Tsunoda is confirmed for 2025, Lawson’s future remains uncertain.
With just two races left, Lawson is aware that he is being evaluated, and stated that he is focusing on hitting his targets before the season ends.
“It’s been pretty strong over most of the races. (…)
“Personally, I want to tidy those things up and try and have a strong weekend every weekend. But obviously, you’re never going to have that.
“In terms of what I’m doing next year, I don’t know. And there will be no sort of decision on that until, I think, after the season.
“I’m very focused on these races that I’m doing right now. I know that I’m being evaluated on these races. I don’t know where I’ll be next year if I’ll be in the sport.
“Obviously, I’d like to think that I will be, but until I get that confirmation, I’m focused on these races.”
