Yuki Tsunoda has displayed remarkable perseverance and skill since 2023, often outshone by many of his colleagues on VCARB and consistently scoring points for VCARB and outpacing many teammates at VCARB races. Yet his prospects of promotion within Red Bull racing’s hierarchy still seem remote.
Tsunoda Faces Challenges in Moving Up
Red Bull rarely allows drivers to remain on its secondary team for an extended period, like Pierre Gasly who ultimately moved over to Alpine after realizing his chances were becoming limited. Yuki Tsunoda finds himself similarly situated despite exceeding performance levels seen among former teammates such as Pierre Gasly and Nyck De Vries.
The 24-year-old’s career trajectory, highlighted by a P3 qualifying finish in Brazil and a P7 in the race, shows undeniable progress. Yet, this progress seems overlooked by Red Bull in their assessment of driver capabilities and potential for promotion.
Even when outshining Daniel Ricciardo earlier this season, Tsunoda’s success was overshadowed by perceptions of Ricciardo’s shortcomings rather than Tsunoda’s merit. This situation mirrors Tsunoda’s current standing against Liam Lawson, where the judgement often favors Lawson due to his less experience, positioning Tsunoda in an unfavourable light regardless of his performance.
Competition for the Red Bull Seat Intensifies
Christian Horner has shown little enthusiasm towards Tsunoda’s potential Red Bull seat compared to how he treats other drivers like Liam Lawson; this suggests an obstacle for Tsunoda within Horner’s large influence within the team; plus Franco Colapinto has further complicated Tsunoda’s path and reduced his promotion chances further still.
Yuki Tsunoda has consistently demonstrated both talent and dedication; yet his path towards becoming one of Red Bull’s primary drivers appears more uncertain with time. This illustrates both Formula 1’s intensely competitive environment as well as top racing teams’ intricate processes when assessing driver talent and potential.