BREAKING: Red Bull sister team signs surprise extension with Yuki Tsunoda for the 2023 F1 season

Red Bull sister team AlphaTauri has signed an extension with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda. The young driver will continue his association beyond the 2022 season as it looks likely that he will have a different teammate next season.

On the eve of his signing with the team, Yuki Tsunoda expressed his gratitude to Red Bull. He said that he is focused on finishing the 2022 season on a high while looking forward to the next. In the team's press release, he said,

“I want to say a huge thank you to Red Bull, Honda and Scuderia AlphaTauri for continuing to give me the opportunity to drive in F1. Having moved to Italy last year, to be closer to the factory, I really feel part of the team and am glad that I get to carry on racing with them in 2023. Of course, our 2022 season isn’t over yet and we’re still pushing hard in the midfield battle, so I’m fully focused on finishing it on a high and then we will look forward to next year.”

AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost also sounded pleased with Yuki Tsunoda getting an extension with the team. He also talked about how the Japanese driver has shown improvements since his debut and was only going to get better with time. He said,

“As we’ve seen since he joined us last year, Yuki is a very talented driver and has improved a lot this season. The pace he has shown recently is clear evidence of a steep learning curve, which proves he deserves a seat in F1, and I still expect some strong results from him in the last six races of 2022. As I always say, a driver needs at least three years to fully get to grips with Formula 1, so I’m pleased he’s been given the time to show his full potential."

Tost also thanked the Red Bull family for giving Tsunoda another year with the team. He said,

"In addition, it’s a testament to Dr. Marko and his driver programme that we’re able to bring these young talents up from the junior categories and develop them. I’d like to join Yuki in thanking Red Bull, AlphaTauri as well as Honda, for their continuous support and for allowing him to stay with us for another year.”

Why is the extension from Red Bull a surprise?

The extension does come as a surprise because while the Japanese driver has shown improvements, he's still rough around the edges. He has scored only half the points as his teammate Pierre Gasly. While Tsunoda has been impressive in phases, the rate of growth has left a lot to be desired.

With Gasly looking for a way out of AlphaTauri and the team already needing to fill a driver's slot, it might have worked in Tsunoda's favor as well. A third year does give the Japanese driver an opportunity to iron out the errors and become more consistent.