Yuki Tsunoda changes manager

Yuki Tsunoda, a full-time driver at Racing Bulls, could have had the chance to join Red Bull Racing to replace Sergio Perez. However, it was Liam Lawson who secured the seat alongside Max Verstappen. In this context, the Japanese driver confirmed to Autosport that he had parted ways with his two managers.

He previously worked alongside Mario Miyakawa and Luis Alvarez. But, at the end of the 2024 season, he began a new collaboration with Diego Menchaca. This Mexican driver has considerable experience in single-seaters, having raced them for several years before competing in other disciplines such as the 2019 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. “I no longer work [with] Mario, and Luis either […] I am really happy with Diego,” he confirmed.

Tsunoda has entered a new dimension of his career.

This is the opinion of the Racing Bulls team director, Laurent Mekies, expressed during this year’s winter testing in Bahrain. “Yuki took a step forward last year, I think no one expected it,” he assures. “He made a great leap in terms of speed, maturity, and technical feedback – and I think if Yuki takes another step like this this year, it’s going to be really, really interesting!” he adds.

Regarding hopes for 2025 in particular, Laurent Mekies specifies: « So, in terms of what a good year would look like for him, it would be to see progress of the same magnitude as what we observed last year. »

And it will be necessary if Yuki Tsunoda wants to finally join the Red Bull team soon. He will have to show that Red Bull Racing’s concerns about his temperament and consistency are no longer valid: indeed, his outbursts of anger have considerably improved, but remain an issue. He loses control, Helmut Marko stated in 2024 about the Japanese driver.

Let’s hope for Yuki Tsunoda that his fifth year with the team goes well and that the change in manager will help him find or create great career opportunities.

Immediate efforts undertaken by Diego Menchaca

The Japanese driver is already satisfied with his choice of manager: « He is motivated, that’s for sure. Once we decided to work together, he immediately went to Helmut [Marko, Red Bull advisor]’s office to establish a relationship. I really appreciate this kind of effort – and obviously, Helmut does too. » This efficiency is obviously welcome and suggests strong involvement from Diego Menchaca.

They already have a good relationship, which is a good start. But ultimately, the most important thing is to perform on the track, which will make Diego’s life easier.

It seems obvious, but Yuki Tsunoda insists on this point: a manager is not a magician. The better a driver performs, the easier it will be for their manager to defend them and find great career opportunities. So, we’ll see what this new collaboration brings.