Last Updated on December 25 2024, 11:56 pm
Tsunoda had other teams interested in 2024 – Yuki Tsunoda may feel he has been double dealt by his Red Bull Racing family who offered him a contract extension for 2025 early this season, effectively ditching the driver for Lawson. The expectations were that either he or Daniel Ricciardo would replace the struggling Sergio Perez, but when the loveable Aussie was released after the summer break, the Japanese driver was sure to be in the box seat to replace the Mexican driver.
At the start of 2024, Ricciardo was expected to lead the V-CARB team yet over their eighteen race weekends together was Tsunoda who won the qualifying battle by a resounding 12-6. The Japanese driver famed for his red mist radio messages also appeared to have benefitted from his experience alongside Ricciardo, whom he credited with for his less emotional responses in the car when things didn’t go to plan.
With Ricciardo leaving the team and only Tsunoda with more than a handful of Grand Prix weekends under his belt, the consensus in the paddock was that Yuki with his four years experience in F1 would trump the newbie Liam Lawson who had been out qualified by his Japanese team mate 6-0 across their races together this season.
Liam Lawson surprise choice
Yet it was Lawson who got the nod, despite his relative lack of performance against his team mate. This leaves Yuki with no where to go within his current organisation given next year will be his fifth with the team.
At the announcement of Lawson’s promotion, ten boss Christian Horner appeared to suggest Yuki may as well leave the Red Bull organisation with immediate effect. “We’re acutely aware that if we’re not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki, in all honesty, this year, does it make sense, you can’t have a driver in the support team for five years,” said Horner.
“You know, you can’t always be the bridesmaid. You’ve either got to let them go at that point or look at something different.”
In reality this is the truth given Yuki has done what was required of him seeing off Pierre Gasly, Nyck de Vries and now Daniel Ricciardo in just four seasons. Dr. Helmut Marko gave his reasoning to publication Klein Zeitung.
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Marko defends New Zealander
“With his mental strength, Lawson is the one who is most likely to be able to hold his own alongside Max; nobody can beat him at the moment anyway. Due to his limited Grand Prix experience, we also see the greatest potential for further development in him,” reasoned the 81 year old Austrian.
When asked about Tsunoda failing to claim the drive alongside Max, Marko replied: “The decision was certainly disappointing for him. His speed is undisputed, but he lacks a certain consistency and he is also a very emotional driver.
“Lawson’s overall package was just right, and Yuki Tsunoda is the spearhead for the Racing Bulls.”
Of course given Red Bull’s ruthless treatment of its younger drivers as evidenced by the experiences of Jean-Eric Vergne, Sebastian Buemi, Daniel Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo, there isn guarantee Lawson will survive the year and comparisons between him and Perez will quickly emerge.
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Tsunoda the only plan B
In the TJ13 sweepstake of how long the New Zealander will survive, this author has taken 15 races which takes us up to the F1 Summer break. At risk of breaking another young driver up against Max, Red Bull elected to give Lawson his crack at the challenge but the team have no plan B other than Tsunoda should it not work out for Lawson.
Now it emerges Yuki was approached by other teams earlier in the season, but the promise of another year with Red Bull and a possible drive alongside Verstappen outweighed their approached. Auto Sport Web Japan report: “Alpine, Sauber-Audi and Haas F1 are said to have spoken to Tsunoda’s management at the beginning of the 2024 and offered him long term contracts. However, Red Bull who owns Tsunoda’s contract, refused to let him go.”
Replacing Lawson at V-CARB is Red Bull’s F2 driver Isack Hadjar who at one point looked as though he would run away with the 2024 championship. In the end he was pipped to the F2 title by McLaren’s academy driver, Gabriel Bortoleto, who will drive in F1 next year for Sauber-Audi.
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Red Bull lose interest in Iwasa
The pecking order for the V-CARB drive should have seen Ayumu Iwasa step up following his exit from F2 last season and a year in Japanese Super Formula. Yet Iwasa appears to have lost favour with the team because unlike Liam Lawson in 2023, he has failed to compete at the front in Japan.
Just three second place podiums and no wins saw Iwasa fall from the front of the field to a distant fifth place as the season came to an end. Red Bull have made no announcement on Iwata’s future but in light of Hadjar jumping the line, it wold appear F1 is a forlorn hope for the Japanese driver.
The process to replace Segrio Perez has seen the Red Bull driver academy streamlined. Iwasa appears out of the equation now and Tsunoda may have just one shot to prove he is the man the team need to race alongside Verstappen – should Liam Lawson bomb in his Red Bull baptism of fire, as many paddock observers expect.
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The unbreakable bond between Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Formula One family was tested to the limit this season. Such were the internal struggles for power in the vacuum left by founder Didi Mateschitz, the Austrian registered parent company who own the racing divisions were at risk of alienating their star driver.
At the second race of the 2024 season in Qatar, to emerged that Dr. Helmut Marko could be facing suspension and would therefore not be present at round three in Australia. Asked about the possibility of a suspension being imposed from Monday, Marko said: “I’ll put it this way, it’s difficult to judge, or let’s put it this way, ultimately, I’ll decide for myself what I do. The theoretical possibility always exists.”
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
There’s too much media emphasis on why teams are letting drivers go. That’s the teams’ business. Daniel Riccardo’s exit reminded me of an ongoing soap opera as did Perez’s departure. It only takes a look at the standings of the drivers to figure out why a driver has been dropped.
If I was Yuki, I’d be asking my agent to find me a way out of the 2025 RB contract and into a new seat. RB are a joke. Nothing else right now.
I’ve seen more pickles from McDonald’s being flicked at a wall to see what sticks and is faster to race to the floor than the outcomes over at RB Racing this past 6 months. Play the Joker card guys. I reckon that about all that’s left for 2025!