Will Tsunoda end up with Verstappen after all? Takes on role at Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda has been confirmed as Red Bull Racing's reserve driver which means that he does have a chance to drive for Red Bull Racing in a grand prix after all. If Max Verstappen or Liam Lawson need to step away for the race weekend, Tsunoda could be stepping up.

Despite holding out hope for the second seat at Red Bull Racing, Tsunoda was kept at VCARB. Instead, Lawson, his brief teammate, was promoted. Because of this, Tsunoda's chances of stepping up seemed to disappear. However, he now has the opportunity to step in for either Verstappen or Lawson if the issue were to arise. Red Bull Racing wants to have someone who is experienced as a reserve driver to maximize the points available during a Grand Prix.

Racing Bulls has also revealed who their reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season is. Again, Ayumu Iwasa will be a reserve driver for the Racing Bulls. Iwasa will be competing in in Super Formula for the second year next season, which means that he will not be available for every race weekend. In fact, he will miss at least three. Although it is not confirmed, Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad would be a good choice as he is working towards his super license. Linblad has been racing in New Zealand in an attempt to win the title and gain enough points for a FIA Super License.

For the 2025 season, the Red Bull Racing line-up will start with Verstappen and Lawson. At Racing Bulls, Tsnuoda will be working beside rookie Isack Hadjar.

This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen.

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