Written by Aashna Singh, Edited by Meghana Sree
When the news broke out that Sergio Pérez would be leaving Red Bull with immediate effect, fans knew the team only had two realistic choices for the driver who would be standing next to their star prodigy, Max Verstappen.
Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver who has been with Visa Cash App RB since 2021, and Liam Lawson, the New Zealand driver who replaced Daniel Ricciardo in two separate stints in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Now, the whole reason VCARB exists is for the drivers who race for them to eventually earn a spot in Red Bull Racing. It is designed to develop young drivers and serve as a testing ground for new technologies by leveraging the rules that allow for technical sharing between teams, essentially acting as a "feeder" team to the main Red Bull team.
That being said, most fans would’ve expected the eight time constructor champions to recruit Tsunoda as he has been with VCARB for four seasons, showing excellent progress and consistent results.
Instead, Red Bull went with Lawson—a 22-year-old driver who, despite showing promise, has yet to complete a full season in F1. His best results? Ninth place—twice. While Lawson is talented, the decision to pick him over Tsunoda raises eyebrows.
After they revealed their driver choice, many were confused as to why they did not pick Tsunoda, an equally young and talented driver. Again, going back to why VCARB exists, Tsunoda joined the team hoping that one day he will earn a spot in Red Bull Racing.
Why was Tsunoda overlooked? It’s the exact question fans—and I—have been asking. If we look at the long-term future of F1, most teams already have their lineups locked in for the next few years. That limits Tsunoda’s options, leaving his future in F1 uncertain.
Not only does the Japanese driver face a tough road ahead in securing a seat elsewhere, but the frustrating part is that he was the better choice—more experienced and already embedded within Red Bull’s system. Yet, he has been left out in the cold.
In upcoming seasons, if Tsunoda doesn’t get picked up by another team or earn a late Red Bull promotion, VCARB could very well let him go in favour of younger drivers. That would undoubtedly be a real shame.
To understand Red Bull’s reasoning, Helmut Marko explained their decision in an interview. He stated that Red Bull saw Lawson as "the mentally strongest of our juniors" and believed he had the resilience to race alongside Verstappen without expecting to challenge him.
That might be true, but it doesn’t make it the right call. Tsunoda put in the work, proved himself, and still got sidelined. So, was this really the best decision for Red Bull? I don’t think so.
Let us know what your thoughts are about this driver lineup ahead of the 2025 F1 season in the comments below!
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