Tsunoda had no choice! He was not allowed to opt out of Red Bull promotion

Yuki Tsunoda would not have done so, but even if he had wanted to: it would have been impossible for him to turn down F1 promotion to Red Bull Racing, it appears, after he was appointed as Liam Lawson's replacement.

For months, Tsunoda told everyone he was ready to move up to the main team. With the Japanese feeling he deserved to become Max Verstappen's teammate after Sergio Perez was shown the door by the Austrians. Yet Lawson, over Tsunoda, was chosen by team boss Christian Horner and chief adviser Helmut Marko.

Tsunoda then did not wallow in self-pity, despite indicating he still felt he was the one who should be at Verstappen's side. He instead focused on his job at Racing Bulls.

In Australia and China, the Japanese showed his best side, which due to circumstances beyond his control, strategy in Australia and a freak front wing incident in the Chinese Grand Prix, only yielded points at the sprint race in Shanghai, where he fended off Andrea Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes throughout the 19 lap race.

Tsunoda's wish comes true

Still, a dream has now come true for Yuki Tsunoda: In his fifth season in Formula 1, the Japanese driver will make the much desired switch from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing. Not that it was at all an option for him to say 'no' the moment Horner called him with the good news.

But if the Japanese had wanted to, for example because Racing Bulls' car is easier to drive, he would have been very unlucky.

Red Bull has revealed that it is contractually stipulated that a driver can go from one team to another. So just as Lawson had to go to Racing Bulls, Tsunoda had to go to Red Bull Racing.