McLaren CEO Zak Brown has assessed that Red Bull makes “strange driver choices” amid Yuki Tsunoda’s impressive weekend at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Tsunoda is embarking on his fifth campaign with Red Bull’s satellite squad in 2025 having been overlooked once again to take the coveted step up to the parent team.
An opening had become available alongside Max Verstappen when Sergio Perez was dropped, but Liam Lawson was promoted over his then Racing Bulls team-mate.
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Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies had commended Tsunoda’s positive reaction to the omission, which was shown at the opening round as he qualified in the top five.
That meant Tsunoda was the second-highest Red Bull-backed driver on the grid behind Verstappen as Lawson’s mistake-laden run consigned him to a Q1 elimination.
Brown, not missing the chance to take aim at a rival team to McLaren, branded Red Bull’s decision to nominate Lawson over the more experienced Tsunoda “strange”.
“I think it’s going to be a very exciting year,” Brown told Sky Sports post-qualifying.
“Yuki did a great job, probably the guy that should be in the Red Bull if you look at how he’s performed, but they seem to make some strange driver choices.”
Tsunoda impresses Red Bull boss
Tsunoda was on course to convert that promising starting position into a sizeable points haul when he overtook Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari as the track dried on Lap 42.
However, a rain shower in the closing stages unravelled the Japanese racer’s work as Racing Bulls timing the transition to Intermediates too late dropped him to 12th.
But although he departed Albert Park without a single point, Tsunoda’s drive didn’t go unnoticed as Red Bull boss Christian Horner was asked to comment on his race.
“I thought Yuki again drove a very good race today,” Horner told select media including Motorsport Week.
“I didn’t follow closely their decision-making for going from slicks to inters. It looked like they perhaps missed the window.
“I looked up at one point and he was ahead of Charles Leclerc and driving very well.
“They’ve had a well-balanced car this weekend. I’m sure they’ll be hoping for that to continue in China next weekend.”
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