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Following Sergio Perez's dismissal from Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda was one of the front runners to be Max Verstappen's teammate. However, the Austrian team, led by Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, snubbed Tsunoda and promoted Liam Lawson alongside the four-time world champion. Now, months after losing the lucrative seat, Tsunoda decided to speak on the matter and hinted at potential internal politics as the reason behind the snub.
Tsunoda has continued to be with Racing Bulls (formerly Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri) in 2025, the team he made his debut for in 2021. As he embarked on his fifth straight F1 season for the Red Bull sister team, he touched upon how he received calls from Red Bull's top brass, but in the end, the deal did not materialize.
"I got three calls from Helmut, Christian, and Lauren (Mekies, RB Team Principal). They were the ones who made the final decision," Tsunoda told Motorsport.com during the Australian Grand Prix press conference. "I think it was Helmut first. There was no point in complaining, so I just said, 'OK, good luck.' I have to keep doing what I'm doing, and I still want to get the other seat one day. It's their decision, not mine."
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"I didn't ask why, but I think he actually said it wasn't a performance. Not just Christian, but everyone I've talked to has said it wasn't a performance. I don't know, it's more like a political thing. I don't think Christian said specifically what the reason was. I still don't fully understand what the reasons for the decision were, but I have a deeper understanding of F1. I understand part of the decision. But I've stopped looking into the reasons," Yuki Tsunoda further added.
Red Bull sacked Perez after the Mexican failed to deliver the performances expected from him. His lack of consistency and point haul left the Austrian team in third place in the championship behind McLaren and Ferrari.
As Perez's replacement, Horner and company brought in Lawson, a driver who had 11 GP starts to his name at the time of the decision, over someone with four years of experience.
As per rumors around the paddock, Yuki Tsunoda, being Japanese, received ample support from Honda during his tenure as a racing driver. Since Honda is moving away from Red Bull in 2026 and will join rival Aston Martin, many believe that this instrumented the Lawson over Tsunoda move.
Despite the setback, Yuki Tsunoda focused on upcoming F1 season
During the Australian Grand Prix press conference, on Thursday, Yuki Tsunoda revealed that he was focused on the upcoming season and was happy despite the Red Bull setback.
Here's what the Racing Bulls driver said:
"I'm really focused on our team, on how our car looks, how it behaves... I care more about our team's performance than any other team or Red Bull. Right now it feels good. The race hasn't started yet, so maybe. That's how I feel right now. So I'm just... happy with where I'm at right now."
The 24-year-old will partner Isack Hajdar this season, his fifth partner in five years. Earlier, Tsunoda paired with Pierre Gasly, Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo, and Liam Lawson.
