Red Bull

F1 star set for Red Bull lifeline after HARSH Horner comments

The 2023 constructors' champions have had a shakeup this offseason

Chris Deeley

Wednesday 29 January 2025 20:00

Yuki Tsunoda is reportedly being given a Red Bull lifeline just weeks after brutal comments from team chief Christian Horner threw his future with the team into doubt.

When Sergio Perez was told he would not be driving for Red Bull in 2025, the team turned to Liam Lawson to replace him, despite the Kiwi having completed just 11 grands prix.

In turn, this meant that the much more experienced Visa Cash App RB driver — Yuki Tsunoda — was overlooked.

Instead, Tsunoda remains at VCARB for the foreseeable future, although, comments made by Christian Horner at the time suggested he might not be there for long either.

Yuki Tsunoda has been overlooked for promotion to Red Bull

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“We're acutely aware that if we're not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki, being, in all honesty, this year [2025], does it make sense?” Horner told the media on keeping the Japanese driver into the future.

“You can't have a driver in the support team for five years. You can't always be the bridesmaid.

Whilst these comments raised doubts over the Japanese driver's future within the team, he could yet be handed the chance to impress, according to reports.

If Lawson severely underperforms, or if he or Verstappen are incapacitated and unable to race, it's now reported that Tsunoda has been positioned as the reserve driver for the senior team.

One possible scenario that could see the Japanese driver step up is if Lawson or Verstappen were suspended, with the latter just four points away from a one-race ban and likely to be embroiled in more on-track battles in 2025.

Ayumu Iwasa would be the man in line to replace Tsunoda at Racing Bulls if he's given the chance to step up, with some experience in an F1 car himself thanks to practice sessions last year.

If handed the chance to step in at Red Bull as reserve, it would give Tsunoda the long-awaited chance he has been looking for to impress the team hierarchy.

Red Bull McLaren Christian Horner Sergio Perez Yuki Tsunoda Liam Lawson