According to the latest rumors this season could be the last in the Red Bull family for Yuki Tsunoda. The presence of the Japanese driver despite the excellent start to the season would in fact be at risk. According to the BBC, Racing Bulls are considering Liam Lawson to replace Tsunoda, who would then join Daniel Ricciardo for 2025.
tsunoda it would not be well liked by the Red Bull top management
Tsunoda occupies the top 10 in the drivers' standings with 19 points. His teammate, however, only scored 5. Initially, given the excellent start to the season for Tsunoda, there was even thought of a call up to Red Bull, in place of Sergio Perez. However, Red Bull has put these rumors to rest in recent days renewing the Mexican driver's contract for another two years. Despite the results, Tsunoda could pay for the bad relationship with the team's top management.
As the BBC reports: “The bosses simply don't rate him highly enough, this is why Tsunoda is looking for job opportunities outside Red Bull, even though he owes his place in F1 to Honda, their engine partner.”
Yuki Tsunoda's arrival in 2021 was mainly linked to the partnership with Honda. From 2026, however, Honda will definitively leave Red Bull and join Aston Martin. This, however, does not imply a move for the Japanese to Lawrance Stroll's team, currently covered by Fernando Alonso who has signed a two-year contract, and by the boss's son, Lance Stroll. The alternatives in the event that Red Bull no longer wants Yuki are limited to Haas, Williams, and Alpine which recently made the departure of Esteban Ocon official at the end of the season.
"Irony of fate, he can't get a seat at Aston Martin, which will be Honda's official team from 2026 and because Fernando Alonso just signed a new contract there and Lance Stroll is the owner's son, and he's not going anywhere. So, Tsunoda he's looking at places like Williams, Haas and Alpine, and it looks like it has good chances to get one of those places this summer.”
Ricciardo has worse results but enjoys the protection of Christian Horner
Despite the negative results, Daniel Ricciardo, unlike Tsunoda, enjoys the protection of Christian Horner, who is gaining more and more power in the team, consequently his seat in Racing Bulls for 2025 should be less at risk.
“Regarding his performance at Racing Bulls, Tsunoda he is regularly beating Daniel Ricciardo and this year he has put in some impressive performances. This raised more questions about Ricciardo than second thoughts about Tsunoda. At the moment, however, Ricciardo he is protected by team principal Christian Horner, sources say, and is safe for now from being replaced by reserve Liam Lawson. The Councillor Helmut Marko, who would probably like to promote Lawson, has lost power and influence in the internal civil war at Red Bull. It's not difficult to imagine Lawson and Ricciardo at RB in 2025, if Horner doesn't change position and Tsunoda moves elsewhere."
Source statements: FormulaPassion
