Yuki Tsunoda has expressed that he wasn’t “angered” by Red Bull’s decision to choose Liam Lawson over him to complete the team’s Formula 1 driver line-up for 2025.
Sergio Perez’s catastrophic season leading him to be dropped opened up a vacant seat at Red Bull that pitted Tsunoda against team-mate Lawson in a straight shootout.
But despite being the more experienced among the two drivers that ended last season at Red Bull’s satellite team, Tsunoda was overlooked to partner Max Verstappen.
Red Bull explained how Lawson’s mental resilience gave him the edge over Tsunoda, who has been unable to dispel the doubts that the senior bosses possess about him.
However, Tsunoda has revealed that the outcome didn’t leave bitter thoughts in his head as he can understand the reasons behind Red Bull opting to promote Lawson.
Asked about missing out on a drive with Red Bull once again, Tsunoda told media including Motorsport Week at the F1 75 season launch: “Yeah, it’s last year’s things that I already kind of parked, and I’m like a bit away from my head, to be honest.
“The moment they officially announced, I would say, I didn’t actually feel that super, super, like, angry or disappointed at that point, to be honest.
“To be honest, maybe I was prepared inside of my head at some point, but in the end, whatever, even when I go to Racing Bulls, VCARB or Red Bull, the things I have to do are the same.
“So, you know, in both ways, you can do pretty cool projects in any way.
“Maybe if I go to Red Bull, you know, maybe team-mate [to] Max, it’s not easy, but at the same time, it’s cool things, and you can prove yourself, you know, in a different stage.
“Even with VCARB it’s different things that I’ve never probably experienced, more like leadership, I guess, is the things that I have to also, at some point, develop myself more.
“So, yeah, I think I just kind of stick to what I’m doing. I understand why they chose Liam, and yeah, it is what it is.
“It’s the things I can control and respect that, and yeah, definitely still have hope [about a Red Bull seat] into this season.
“I just keep focused on what I have to do, and prove myself more than I [should be] in Formula 1, just in general, I guess.
Tsunoda willing to remain at Racing Bulls in 2026
Red Bull boss Christian Horner conceded that the group might have to look to move Tsunoda on in the scenario where it can’t guarantee him a move to the parent team.
But Tsunoda, who will begin his fifth season with the sister side, has insisted he would be willing to go into the upcoming rules reset in 2026 with the Faenza-based squad.
Asked whether he might need to push for a move elsewhere should a Red Bull opening not materialise, the Japanese driver remarked: “I don’t know, maybe our team change the name again next year, and then I can say a different team, you know!
“But, let’s see. It depends on my performance, I guess.
“Every season, I was going to go. Obviously, I would like to stay in this Red Bull family. In any way, if I go to Red Bull Racing, that’s amazing
“If not, still, I would love to be in this part of the team that I’ve been already five years, and I’m feeling already really connected to every person, which is, for me, very important as a driver to develop myself and [to] focus on what I want to do.”
“Every person now in our team is facing the same direction. I feel a lot of support from them, which means a lot to me.
“So, yeah, whatever happens, you know, there can be interesting options, but obviously my main target is to be in this team, in our Red Bull family.”
READ MORE – Yuki Tsunoda told to use Liam Lawson example to not give up Red Bull F1 hope
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