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F1 Helmut Marko hints at chance for Yuki Tsunoda in Red Bull

Marko hints at Red Bull opportunity for Yuki Tsunoda in 2024

22 October at 17:00
Last update 22 October at 18:04
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  • Toby Nixon
  • Editor

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed Yuki Tsunoda may be granted a long-awaited opportunity with Red Bull after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The VCARB driver has always been an option for Red Bull but is yet to have been provided with an opportunity in their car. Speculation surrounding Sergio Perez has been rampant for months, and the Mexican's future is still uncertain. The 81-year-old explained where the Japanese driver fits in Red Bull's plans.

Tsunoda has yet to drive a Red Bull despite his close ties to the brand. Par show runs in older equipment, the 24-year-old hasn't been given a chance to prove himself with VCARB's parent team. Tsunoda has had a solid season in 2024 and has scored 22 points so far. He outperformed teammate Daniel Ricciardo over the year and now has Liam Lawson to contend with. Tsunoda's chance could come at Pirelli's tyre test for the 2025 season. The running starts the Tuesday after the final Grand Prix of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Will Tsunoda drive for Red Bull in 2024?

Motorsport.com asked the Austrian if Tsunoda would run this test on behalf of Red Bull Racing. In response, Marko revealed: "We have some plans for Abu Dhabi, yes. But we have various drivers, you know. We have [Isack] Hadjar, for example, and now we have Liam [Lawson]." According to Marko, Tsunoda's opportunity is yet to be set in stone.

Sergio Perez's Red Bull seat is by no means safe. This season, Max Verstappen has scored 354 points, whereas Perez has scored just 150. Although the Mexican Red Bull contract sees him through to the end of 2025 with the Austrians having the option to extend him with an additional year, his position is by no means concrete. Liam Lawson could well be Perez's successor, but Tsunoda himself has done and continues to, do all he can to put himself in the spotlight.

This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom

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