Tsunoda 'didn't really feel any anger' over Red Bull's choice to promote Lawson

In 2025, Yuki tsunoda is about to break a record. If all goes well, the Japanese should become – at the Canadian Grand Prix on June 10 – the most capped driver in the history of the Faenza team (since the takeover of Minardi by Red Bull, end of 2005). A record that still belongs to Pierre Gasly and his 96 Grand Prix contested with the Italian team. At 24, the Japanese driver will contest his fifth full season with Racing Bulls (ex-Alpha Tauri), something not seen since 2006.

And yet, Yuki Tsunoda seemed to have ticked all the boxes to finally move up to the next level and join the parent team, Red Bull. Alas, despite more convincing performances than his teammates in 2024, the Sagamihara native was not retained by the Austrian team, who preferred Liam Lawson to support him Max Verstappen in 2025. A choice that some have had difficulty understanding, but the Japanese seems to have digested the news. Reinvigorated – perhaps stung – by this non-selection, it was a determined Yuki Tsunoda who presented himself on Tuesday for the F1 75 Live, held at the O2 Arena in London.

In a press conference, the Racing Bulls driver returned to this episode, which he believes he has assimilated well. "The stuff from last year, I've kind of put it aside and gotten it out of my head already, to be honest. When they officially announced it, I didn't really feel any anger or disappointment, Yuki Tsunoda confided. Maybe I was prepared in my head at some point. At the end of the day, whether I'm at Racing Bulls or Red Bull, the things I have to do are the same. I just have to stick to what I do. I understand why they chose Liam. That's how it is, there are things I can't control. I just stay focused on myself and try to prove myself."

What future for Tsunoda at Red Bull?

This season, Yuki Tsunoda will be accompanied by a new teammate, Isack Hadjar. The two men were already able to confront each other directly during the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi, last December, aboard the Red Bull RB20. The Frenchman is highly regarded by the Austrian management: moreover, Christian Horner had revealed that Isack Hadjar had been faster than Yuki Tsunoda during these tests. Real information or calculated hoax? Both are possible, because Yuki Tsunoda's position at Racing Bulls is fragile: between the end of his contract at the end of the 2025 season and the separation between Red Bull and Honda - which will become the exclusive engine supplier ofAston Martin in 2026 – the Japanese could experience his last season within the Red Bull family.

However, despite an uncertain future, Yuki Tsunoda has reaffirmed his commitment to the Italian team and hopes to continue as long as possible with Racing Bulls and Red Bull in F1. “Maybe our team will change its name again next year! Let’s wait and see. It will depend on my performance. For sure I would like to stay in the Red Bull family. If it’s at Red Bull Racing, that’s great, if not I would like to stay [at Racing Bulls]. I’ve been in this team for five years now and I feel connected to the people here, which is very important as a driver to develop and focus on what I want to do. I feel a lot of support from them, which means a lot to me. Whatever happens, there can be interesting options.”

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