F1 star DAZZLES in Red Bull attire after driver replacement

Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

F1 star DAZZLES in Red Bull attire after driver replacement

A Formula 1 star has been spotted in new team gear at the Abu Dhabi tyre test

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 10 December 2024 22:56 Updated: 14:30

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A Formula 1 star has dazzled in Red Bull attire after replacing a driver at the team.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit may have taken home the drivers’ title with Max Verstappen in 2024, but they could only manage a third-place finish in the constructors’ standings.

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Whilst Red Bull’s performance declined, Sergio Perez’s inability to score consistent points for the team has undoubtedly contributed to their position at the end of the season.

As a result, the Mexican star has been tipped to be replaced in 2025, despite recently signing a contract extension until the end of 2026.

Red Bull finished third in the constructors' in 2024

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If Red Bull do opt to replace Perez, they have two drivers from their sister team VCARB to choose from.

Liam Lawson has been lauded as the favourite to join Red Bull, over his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, despite the impressive season the Japanese driver has delivered.

Tsunoda consistently beat Daniel Ricciardo prior to his axing from the team, and Lawson has since also struggled against his more experienced team-mate.

Now, Tsunoda has been given the chance to impress and fight for an opportunity at Red Bull during a recent outing in the RB20.

With Perez and Verstappen both absent for the end-of-season Abu Dhabi tyre test, Tsunoda stepped in, where he was not only spotted out on track, but also snapped while decked out in Red Bull attire instead of RB.

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Tsunoda will test alongside Isack Hadjar, who has been slated as a potential replacement at RB, if a driver from within the team is promoted up to Red Bull.

The Frenchman finished as runner up in the 2024 Formula 2 championship, and competed for Red Bull recently during FP1 at the Abu Dhabi GP.

As for how the final session of 2024 went for all the drivers, here is the full timesheet from the nine hours of running at the Yas Marina Circuit, according to Sky Sports.

2024 Abu Dhabi post-season tyre test times

1. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari] - 1:23.510
2. Carlos Sainz [Williams] - 1:23.635
3. George Russell [Mercedes] - 1:23.789
4. Nico Hulkenberg [Sauber] - 1:23.856
5. Kimi Antonelli [Mercedes] - 1:23.873
6. Ayumu Iwasa [VCARB] - 1:24.100
7. Pato O'Ward [McLaren] - 1:24.222
8. Jack Doohan [Alpine] - 1:24.268
9. Paul Aron [Alpine] - 1:24.275
10. Esteban Ocon [Haas] - 1:24.305
11. Luke Browning [Williams] - 1:24.375
12. Ryo Hirakawa [Haas] - 1:24.435
13. Liam Lawson [VCARB] - 1:24.440
14. Arthur Leclerc [Ferrari] - 1:24.576
15. Isack Hadjar [Red Bull] - 1:24.632
16. Lando Norris [McLaren] - 1:24.678
17. Yuki Tsunoda [Red Bull] - 1:24.689
18. Gabriel Bortoleto [Kick Sauber] - 1:24.738
19. Oscar Piastri [McLaren] - 1:24.838
20. Jak Crawford [Aston Martin] - 1:24.997
21. Felipe Drugovich [Aston Martin] - 1:25.014
22. Frederik Vesti [Mercedes] - 1:25.159
23. Antonio Fuoco [Ferrari] - 1:25.238

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

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