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Tsunoda takes accountability for not being promoted to Red Bull: 'My fault'
- Jeroen Immink
Yuki Tsunoda, the Visa Cash App RB driver, has expressed that he would have loved the chance to become Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull Racing in 2025. However, to his disappointment, his teammate Liam Lawson was promoted to the top team instead. Tsunoda acknowledged that the outcome was partly due to his own performance but also influenced by decisions made by the Milton Keynes-based team.
Sergio Perez's struggles in 2024 prompted Helmut Marko and Christian Horner to search for a new teammate for Max Verstappen. During this period, Yuki Tsunoda was delivering consistently strong performances for Visa Cash App Red Bull (VCARB), often outpacing his then-teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Following Ricciardo's dismissal after the Singapore Grand Prix, Liam Lawson joined Tsunoda as his new teammate. Despite Tsunoda's impressive form and having driven 11 Grands Prix for Red Bull's sister team, it was Lawson—not Tsunoda—who earned the promotion to the main Red Bull Racing team.
Tsunoda's honest conclusion: 'Kind of my own fault'
Yuki Tsunoda is frustrated at the prospect of remaining with Red Bull's sister team for a fifth consecutive Formula 1 season. The Japanese driver, who scored 30 points in the previous season, believes his early performances in F1 may have created doubts about his capabilities. "I think that part of it is kind of my fault because I wasn't really able to perform straight away in the first year," Tsunoda told Motorsport.com.
"Even though I was performing well (In 2024), I feel like I didn't get really get credit as much as probably other drivers get, but it is what it is. I just naturally, just keep what I'm doing and performing well and just prove them wrong." Tsunoda added.
Is a Kvyat or Gasly scenario possible for Tsunoda?
Red Bull has a history of making mid-season driver swaps between their main team and the now Visa Cash App Red Bull (VCARB) team. It's been called both Toro Rosso and Alpha Tauri in the past, but the fate of drivers like Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly remained the same. They were replaced mid-season by Alexander Albon and Max Verstappen, respectively. Whether a similar scenario could unfold for Yuki Tsunoda remains uncertain.
"I just try to give them (Red Bull) fewer excuses or reasons why I am not in the seat. So, I just focus on what I can control those things other than that, just accept the situation. I'm sure I can do a better job than what they are thinking." Tsunoda concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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