Red Bull will spend the next week evaluating their options for the Japanese GP. Perhaps for the first time, Yuki Tsunoda is now a front-runner to become Max Verstappen’s next teammate.
Despite their previous reservation about Tsunoda, Red Bull appear to be changing their tune.
Recent comments from team principal Christian Horner certainly suggest his perspective on Tsunoda has changed.
Red Bull to revisit data from Tsunoda test
After Liam Lawson took Daniel Ricciardo’s seat last September, there were two obvious candidates to replace Sergio Perez.
Aside from Colapinto, who was briefly under consideration, it was Tsunoda and Lawson fighting for a promotion.
However, Lawson was always Christian Horner’s preferred choice – even prior to his comeback last year.
Partly because of this, Horner interpreted Lawson’s performance last year (despite being slightly slower than Tsunoda) as evidence the Kiwi driver had more potential.
For obvious reasons, this assessment has not aged well at the beginning of 2025.
In the final weeks of last year, Yuki Tsunoda managed to secure a place in Red Bull’s post-season test.
At the time, though Lawson was the favourite for a Red Bull seat, this test was seen as an opportunity for Tsunoda to make a case for himself.
More than likely, the Japanese driver’s performance had no influence on their final decision.
After all, it was Honda who convinced the Austrian outfit to put Tsunoda in the RB20 for the test.
With that said, Lawson’s poor results have motivated Red Bull to go back and analyse the data.
In addition to Australia and China, the Milton Keynes squad are going through Tsunoda’s data from the post-season test.
The 24-year-old completed well over a race distance in the RB20 last December.
As a result, this session is a useful reference for Red Bull to judge his chances of adapting.
According to Christian Horner, Tsunoda performed very well in the RB20:
“He did very well in that test with us,” he told Motorsport.
“It’s useful data for us, but we always look at the bigger picture.”
A difference of opinion at Red Bull
One of the most unique aspects of Red Bull’s management is the dynamic between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
Despite both playing a central role in forming the team’s driver line-ups, they often have disagreements on who to sign.
Nyck de Vries, for example, was put in the VCARB seat largely at Marko’s adamance. It is understood that Horner was less enthusiastic about the Dutchman.
Regarding Yuki Tsunoda, it is traditionally Helmut Marko who has been more confident in his potential.
The same cannot be said for Horner, with the Red Bull team principal often sceptical about the 24-year-old’s ceiling.
These reservations are likely what tipped the scale in Lawson’s favour last December.
Of course, the situation is now very different – given the performances being delivered by the #30 car.
Even without analysing Tsunoda’s post-season test, there is no denying that Tsunoda is more experienced than his former teammate.
Aside from this, the evidence suggests the 24-year-old is faster – regardless of Lawson’s respectable VCARB appearances in 2023 and 2024.
Having signed De Vries, Ricciardo and Lawson within the space of two years, Red Bull could have little choice but to give Tsunoda his long-awaited opportunity.
Christian Horner’s acknowledgement of Tsunoda’s strong tests indicates his perspective on the 24-year-old is changing.
