Tsunoda, better than Ricciardo, is causing a headache for Red Bull for 2025
The rise of Tsunoda at Red Bull puts pressure on Ricciardo for 2025. Despite impressive qualifications, the Australian must now deal with the competitiveness of his teammate. Tsunoda, for his part, is looking to prove his worth not only to Red Bull, but also to the entire grid. An internal battle that promises to liven up the upcoming season.
The start of the Formula 1 season in 2024 brought its share of surprises and uncertainties, especially at Red Bull Racing Team. While Daniel Ricciardo was expected to be the favorite to replace Sergio Perez alongside Max Verstappen in 2025, the Australian driver has so far been beaten in qualifying by his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
Indeed, Tsunoda outpaced Ricciardo in the last three qualifying sessions of the season, demonstrating impressive performances. Despite his promising results, the Japanese driver was not necessarily considered a serious contender to join Red Bull next year.
Quizzed about his prospects at Red Bull, Tsunoda declared: “I hope they will take it into account. At the same time, I want to show my skills as much as possible to other teams. I just want to increase my value as a driver and show that I can fight really hard.”
Tsunoda highlighted the importance of his new VCARB-01 for his good performances in Australia. He also admitted to making mistakes in previous races, stating that the key was to eliminate these mistakes to achieve more consistent results.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko praised Tsunoda’s qualifying efforts: He finished in the top 10 again – it was an incredible performance – he was always there, without mistakes. I hope that this will now also translate into points, because the speed is there.
Despite his current position behind his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo still has a chance to fight for a seat at Red Bull in 2025. The internal competition within the Austrian team promises to be intense throughout the season, with two drivers determined to prove their worth and secure a place alongside Max Verstappen.
The battle between Ricciardo and Tsunoda is only beginning, and the next races will be crucial to determine who will be best placed to join the Red Bull Racing team next season.
