As he embarks on his fifth season with Racing Bulls in Formula 1, Yuki Tsunoda has his sights set on a higher prize – a Red Bull Racing seat. Despite being passed over for a coveted spot on the Red Bull team, Tsunoda remains steadfast in his ambition.
In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com on the eve of the 2025 season opener, Tsunoda expressed his surprise at Red Bull’s decision to favour Liam Lawson, even though Tsunoda had consistently outperformed several teammates over the years. Among those left trailing in his wake are Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo, and Lawson himself.
Tsunoda made no secret of his ambition when asked to choose between the security of remaining with Racing Bulls or the riskiness of aiming for a Red Bull seat. His choice? “100 percent, red.”
Attempting to maintain his calm over Red Bull’s decision, Tsunoda stated, “I still want that [Red Bull] seat at some point. But the decision they made, it’s up to them, not me.”
Tsunoda’s focus remains undeterred at Racing Bulls, despite the disappointment. He speculated that politics might have influenced Red Bull’s decision, rather than performance. Tsunoda shared, “I had, like, three calls from Helmut [Marko], Christian [Horner], and Laurent [Mekies]. Christian mentioned that it’s not about performance. From what I heard from other people, they’re saying it’s not performance-related. It’s more like a political [decision].”
Surprisingly, Tsunoda finds himself in a similar mental state to the previous year, focusing on the team, their ongoing projects, and the car’s performance.
With Daniel Ricciardo’s departure, Tsunoda eyes a leadership role in 2025, even though he feels overlooked. “This year, there’s no other experienced driver in the team, so for sure, the team will rely on me more,” he said. “It feels like there’s more responsibility. I want to help, not just in terms of extracting performance from the car, but in guiding the team’s overall direction.”
Helmut Marko, however, noted that mental strength weighed heavily in their decision, citing Tsunoda’s two accidents around Mexico and Lawson’s commendable performance at the time.
As Tsunoda prepares for the 2025 season, his goal is clear: to step into a leadership role, deliver results, and prove that he deserves a chance at Red Bull. Whether his efforts will be enough to replace Lawson is still uncertain, but Tsunoda is resolute in proving his worth on the track.