Ex-Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Anthony Davidson has revealed his incredulity as to why Red Bull continues to overlook Yuki Tsunoda for one of its race seats.
The news that RB will promote Liam Lawson to replace Daniel Ricciardo from Austin has fuelled speculation that he is effectively auditioning to replace Sergio Perez in 2025.
This would once again freeze Tsuonda out of the picture for promotion in an all too familiar story for the Japanese driver as he seeks to partner Max Verstappen.
His rapid on-track improvements are being ignored according to Davidson, who believes his reputation as an emotional and crash-prone driver is no longer warranted.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, the former SuperAguri F1 driver highlighted the transformation in Tsunoda and questioned Red Bull’s logic.
“They’re looking for that magic” he said.
“Maybe, Daniel [Ricciardo] once upon a time would have been able to deliver that.
“Perhaps, he would have been ahead of Yuki, firmly ahead but I think Yuki has upped his game since his arrival in Formula 1.
“It’s quite normal you see drivers arrive, they overdrive the car, crash and they spin.
“You’re waiting for it to all calm down a bit and then they do, but then they’re slow because they’ve lost their rhythm.
“Yuki has been through that journey and he’s not that driver anymore that some may think back to. He’s pretty polished, he’s the finished article now.
“Poor old Yuki is still getting tarred with that same brush. I am not sure it’s not that easy anymore for anyone to do that against Tsunoda.
“How does he feel about all this? He’s been overlooked every single time.”
Tsunoda’s impressive team-mate record
Davidson also praised the RB driver’s resilience and performance against his two most recent high-profile teammates, both of whom had been dropped in the last 18 months.
“These drivers come in – Lawson or Ricciardo comes back as an older experienced driver,” he continued.
“Nyck de Vries has a go against him as well – and he keeps beating them, every single time. It can’t just be a coincidence.
“Why isn’t he given the chance?” he asked. “Why aren’t we hearing about Yuki’s chance to replace Perez?
“Would he do a better job? He’s a feisty driver. I can’t imagine he’d be mentally destroyed by Max. He’s a resilient character.
“I think that’s what Ricciardo was up against and without anyone really highlighting this.”
