Childish « attitude » deprived Yuki Tsunoda of a Red Bull seat
Yuki Tsunoda, currently twelfth in the drivers' championship, is having a convincing season with Racing Bulls. However, with Sergio Pérez under threat, Red Bull wasn't keen to offer the driver the second seat in the team. The Austrian team didn't appreciate the Japanese driver's numerous mood swings on the radio.

Yuki Tsunoda’s future at Racing Bulls seemed sealed. The Japanese driver is currently in his fourth season with the Faenza team and the results are finally starting to come. The driver has especially distinguished himself this season, outperforming his teammate Daniel Ricciardo with ten more points scored. His performances have convinced Red Bull to extend his contract until 2025.
However, while Sergio Pérez continues to underperform and many rumors suggest his potential replacement, Yuki Tsunoda has never been seriously considered as a candidate to replace the Mexican. Red Bull still prefers to turn to his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo. For some enthusiasts, like racing driver Tom Coronel, it’s the immature behavior Tsunoda may have had in the past that worries Red Bull and prevents the team from offering him a seat.
« Verbally, I don’t think he’s ready for the top yet, he sometimes seems a bit childish. » shared Tom Coronel as reported by Planet F1. « If he had presented himself in a slightly different way, he would have been at Red Bull for a long time. That’s where I have my doubts about Yuki, but on the other hand, I think it’s great that he says everything he thinks » explained the Dutchman.
Turbulent beginnings…
Since his debut in Formula 1, Yuki Tsunoda has stood out for his fiery temperament. Known for his heated exchanges on the radio, he quickly gained a reputation as a driver who is difficult to manage, to the point that Red Bull had described him as a “problem child”. In 2022, Helmut Marko revealed that the team had enlisted a psychologist to help the driver control his emotions, which were directly affecting his performances on the track.
We have called upon a kind of psychologist to work with him, because he continued to fume in the corners, which is detrimental to his performances. We have to keep our emotions under control. Thank God, Max [Verstappen] is calm. Our problem child in this respect, not only in this respect, is Tsunoda. He explodes on the radio, you wouldn’t believe it, the Austrian indicated on Servus TV.
…but an established fullness now
This season, Yuki Tsunoda seems to have turned a page. His performances have improved, reflecting increased maturity and a more composed demeanor, both on and off the track. A particular character appreciated by Tom Coronel, who acknowledges that the Japanese driver is very fast and always ready to take risks. “But apart from that, this guy from VCARB can really step on the accelerator. He dares to take risks. Yuki is a flamboyant driver, he has fire in him,” he recognized. “He shows things that sometimes make me think: ‘Hoppa! That’s what we want to see from Formula 1 drivers! We always see Yuki fighting in the car. He pushes the car in the turns as if he’s putting it in a headlock, I find that cool.”
The former teammate of Pierre Gasly seems to have now convinced Red Bull to keep him in its structure, proof of the evolution of the driver since his beginnings. Nevertheless, the Japanese driver recently explained that he feels ready to take on new challenges, including that of being Max Verstappen’s teammate. « If I wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t have been able to announce next season at least for VCARB. I’ve been ready for three years to fight against the best teams, for higher positions, even with Max or whoever. But in the end, it’s up to them to decide and it’s not something I can control. ».
Although Red Bull has chosen to keep Sergio Pérez for the rest of the season, the future for 2025 remains uncertain. For Yuki Tsunoda, maintaining his level of performance until the end of the season will be crucial. If he manages to convince more, and if Sergio Pérez continues to experience difficulties, his dream of joining the Red Bull team could well come true next year.