According to Peter Bayer, CEO of the Faenza team, the Japanese driver could still be in the running for a promotion to the Red Bull Formula 1 team, provided he continues to meet expectations.
In June, RB announced that Tsunoda would remain with the team for 2025 and in recent weeks the driver has been overlooked for a seemingly vacant Red Bull seat, with Sergio Perez at risk of being sacked due to his poor performances.
With the Milton Keynes team deciding to keep both Perez and Daniel Ricciardo at their respective teams in the short term, the topic of next year’s line-up is now in focus, especially if Perez fails to prove he can do more.
Bayer said Tsunoda would be an option for Red Bull if he performed consistently at a high level.
“Helmut said it himself, in German they say that one swallow does not make a summer,” the CEO told Motorsport.com. “That means that if Yuki continues to be at this level consistently, he will be considered for a seat at Red Bull Racing.”
“If that means he needs another season alongside a very competitive Daniel, that could be an option.”
“It could also be an option to say, okay, now we think he’s ready. Then we’ll talk to Liam (Lawson) at that point. We’re in no rush – even though everyone thinks we are – because we have all the options in hand.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team talks to Peter Bayer, CEO Visa Cash App RB
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
RB team principal Laurent Mekies hailed Tsunoda’s improvement in his fourth year in F1 as “phenomenal” and said he admired his ambition to move to Red Bull.
“You expect a lot from a young person between the first and second year, maybe between the second and third,” Mekies said. “But you don’t expect such a phenomenal step between the third and fourth year, so yes, he’s faster. Yes, he’s calmer. Yes, he’s more integrated into the team, he gives better feedback and hopefully he’s happy!”
“But seriously, he is a benchmark from the way he comes out of the box on Friday in FP1 and bang: the first lap, he is already there.”
Mekies added: “Yuki is a Red Bull driver. He has to have the ambition to drive for Red Bull Racing. If he doesn’t have that, it’s wrong.”
“I hope and trust that more than anything he wants to drive that car to win races. We also try to help him grow in that sense, that’s our job.”
“What if he was completely happy to extend his contract for next year? Yes, and it’s a problem for him, but because he tells us he’s very ambitious, he sees that the team is too and that the combination obviously works.”
“We help him grow and he has repaid us with a truly incredible level of performance.”
Additional information by Filip Cleeren and Jonathan Noble
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