Red Bull have been hammered by most writers and fans in the Formula One world for their handling of Daniel Ricciardo’s departure. Ricciardo claimed on Thursday before the race in Singapore he believed there would be big decisions made on the team’s 2025 lineup.

Yet his demeanour after coming last but with the token fastest lap, was of that of a man who knew he’d raced his last time in F1. Dr. Helmut Marko admitted Ricciardo was told before the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday that he would be replaced by Liam Lawson come the next outing in Austin, Texas.

The world championship winning F1 team appear to be in a muddle of the future of their drivers and even Max Verstappen has been rumoured to be looking elsewhere for 2026. Sergio Perez was awarded another one year deal earlier this season, but his performances since have been the worst amongst the eight drivers for the top four teams and three is no way he will be alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.

 

 

 

Tsunoda charmed F1 route

Yuki Tsunoda is in his fourth year with the Red Bull junior team but he has never looked to be in contention to move up into a world championship car, something which is now starting to smell.

As the recent debate prior to the summer break rolled on, most of the paddock folk believed Perez would be replaced on the resumption of racing. Yet it was all talk about Ricciardo taking the seat and very little encouragement for Yuki.

Tsunoda had a short career on the FIA stepladder to Formula One. He spent just one year in F3 and one yer in F2 and while the Japanese driver showed incredible speed at timers, his results were less than should have been required to make it into an F1 team.

In 2019, Yuki came ninth in the FIA F3 international championship and a year later bettered this by finishing third in F2. He was beaten by Mick Schumacher and Calum Ilott. So how come Yuki made it into F1 when drivers such as Theo Pourchaire and Felipe Drigovitch who both won the last two F2 championships did not?

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Honda leverage over Red Bull diminished

The answer is simple. Honda and Dr. Helmut Marko. Honda offered the Red Bull Racing organisation a deal on their engines so long as they took Yuki as a racing driver. Dr. Helmut Marko intimated last year he had managed the relationship with Honda when its looked as though Tsunoda may be let go.

Of course Honda and Red Bull will part ways for the 2026 season as the Japanese power unit manufacturer originally declared in 2021 it was leaving the sport. Red Bull then decided to build its own powertrains in partnership with Ford before Honda changed their collective mind and will now partner with Aston Martin.

This begs the question, with Red Bull’s academy filled with talent, why did they resign Tsunoda in June for a fifth year in 2025? The Honda leverage over power units is surely no longer relevant and from Christian Horner’s perspective, the Japanese driver will never step up into a Red Bull F1 car.

Nate Saunders revealed on the ESPN Unlapped podcast that Christian Horner is not particularly enamoured with the Japanese driver and has steadfastly refused to consider him being promoted alongside Max Verstappen.

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Yuki credits Ricciardo with temper control

Yuki has improved during his four years in F1 and comfortably saw off Daniel Ricciardo who is an eight time Grand Prix winner. Tsunoda credited his Aussie team mate for helping him overcome the thing he was most criticised for – raw displays of temper.

“It felt very important,” Tsunoda revealed in May. ”Starting from last year, [in the] second half of the season, Red Bull – Helmut [Marko], Christian [Horner] – wanted me to calm myself down a little bit and focus on feedback, and to be a more complete driver.

“Daniel [Ricciardo] came into the team, and Daniel is very, very good at those things, especially the feedback and radio communications.”

With the margins in F1’s midfield being so small, its tough for a driver in that situation to prove themselves week in and out, but Tsunoda has certainly not done enough to impress. Nate Saunders reveals the Red Bull boss feels the same.

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Horner vows Tsunoda will never drive a Red Bull

“Christian Horner, you talk to him privately, you talk to him publicly. He’s maybe less certain public, but in private, he’s like, ‘there’s no chance we’re putting him in the Red Bull seat’. He doesn’t think he’s got the right temperament.”

Whether Tsunoda will join Perez in the Red Bull winter driver clean out is yet to be seen. Yuki is now tasked with taking on a fourth different team mate in four years as Liam Lawson joins the VCARB party for the races in Austin, Texas.

The shakeup in the Red Bull F1 full time rostered drivers could see anything number of permutations for next year. Verstappen will retain his current seat, Lawson may be moved up alongside him but if the New Zealander can’t beat Tsuonda over the next six race weekends, he too could become part of the winter clearcut at Milton Keynes.

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Now Colapinto may feature

This would see the top three in the Red Bull driver academy be promoted to F1 in one fell swoop. Ayumu Iwasa, Isack Hadjar and 16 year old Arvin Lindblad are all waiting and Dr. Marko has even noted the FIA may look sympathetically on allowing Lindblad’s super license even though he is below the regulated ‘minimum age.’

As if things aren’t crazy enough at Red Bull, Williams star driver who has replaced Logan Sargeant is now the apple of Dr. Marko’s eye. “He is with the Williams team,” Marko stated in conversation with Motorsport-Total. “He will definitely be someone [for us to consider] in the future. What he showed was very, very good, both in Baku and in Singapore. I cited that as an example.”

Dr. Marko has set the cat amongst the pigeons with a number of F1 observers now speculating Red Bull are making a big money move for the Argentinian, Franco Colapinto.

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Red Bull knowingly “LIED” to F1 media

All the talk coming into the latest Grand Prix weekend this year in Singapore, was this would be the last race for Daniel Ricciardo in his RB car. Just weeks earlier the Aussie believed this would be the case, but that he was getting a promotion to replace the hapless Sergio Perez.

Yet two days into the summer break, Red Bull announced Perez would remain given there were circuits coming in the next four rounds where the Mexican driver had won three times and was a specialist.

Checo failed to deliver collecting just eleven points during these events and he threw away a golden opportunity for a P3 podium by crashing with Carlos Sainz late in the race on Sunday. Yet it is Ricciardo who Red Bull have let go and Perez future for the rest of the season is said to be secure… READ MORE