F1 star in promising Red Bull driver lineup update as search takes fresh twist

Pérez, Tsunoda, Lawson, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

F1 star in promising Red Bull driver lineup update as search takes fresh twist

Yuki Tsunoda has been linked with a seat with Red Bull

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 17 December 2024 12:58

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A Formula 1 star who is rumoured to be in contention to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull has offered a promising evaluation of his chances, as the driver lineup saga takes a fresh twist.

Perez's position with the team is in doubt, after Helmut Marko admitted at the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi that discussions would be taking place regarding Red Bull's 2025 driver lineup.

F1 HEADLINES: MAJOR Perez future update revealed as shock F1 team switch announced

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The Mexican star only managed to pick up 13 points from the final nine events of the season as Red Bull fell out of constructors' championship contention, while he hasn't stood on the podium since April at the Chinese Grand Prix.

In contrast, Perez's team-mate Verstappen claimed nine race victories in 2024, winning a fourth consecutive world championship title in the same car that Perez was driving.

Sergio Perez could be on his way out of the door at Red Bull

Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are said to be in direct competition for the Red Bull seat

Who will replace Perez at Red Bull?

Red Bull have a number of young drivers on their books waiting for an opportunity with the main team, including current sister team drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, while F2 championship runner-up Isack Hadjar is also awaiting a full-time F1 opportunity.

Lawson has reportedly been seen as the favourite to partner Verstappen in 2025, but it was Tsunoda who was given an opportunity to impress his potential employers at the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi, driving the RB20.

Now, Tsunoda has revealed how his audition went, suggesting that the team were impressed with how he conducted himself during the test.

"I heard a lot about how impressed they were, particularly with my feedback," Tsunoda said at an end-of-season Honda Racing event.

"This came not only from the trackside engineers but also from the engineers supporting remotely from Red Bull’s factory in Milton Keynes. They mentioned how impressed they were with my input.

"That area was a key target for me. I believe Red Bull already understands that my speed isn’t much of an issue. Instead, what they’re more focused on is things like my feedback, my behaviour within the team, and how I conduct myself in the car. They probably saw those areas as the biggest unknowns.

"So while keeping that in mind, I continued to provide feedback as I always have, aiming to communicate as thoroughly and with as much detail as possible."