Yuki Tsunoda, the driver for RB, has expressed his desire to enhance his worth to other Formula 1 teams in case he is unable to secure a promotion within Red Bull. Tsunoda has always maintained that his ultimate goal is to drive for the senior Red Bull team, but he has not been seen as a serious contender. Despite outperforming his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in all three races this season, Ricciardo is considered the more likely candidate to replace Sergio Perez in 2025. Tsunoda has had a strong start to 2024, finishing seventh in Australia after starting in eighth position, while Ricciardo was eliminated in Q1 and finished 12th. With rumors linking him to Aston Martin due to their upcoming partnership with Honda, Tsunoda hopes to be an appealing option if Red Bull is not available. When asked if his strong performance in the beginning of the season would improve his chances with Red Bull, Tsunoda said, “Hopefully they will consider it. At the same time, I want to show other teams what I’m capable of. I want to increase my value as a driver and demonstrate that I can compete at a high level. I don’t know what Red Bull’s plans are, but I hope they will seriously consider me as well.”
One factor that has worked against Tsunoda and prevented him from being considered for the Red Bull seat is his temperament during races. However, Tsunoda has made an effort to control his emotions and was satisfied with how he handled a race incident involving Kevin Magnussen in Saudi Arabia. “I’m pleased with how I handled the previous race,” he said. “Normally, I would have been frustrated and expressed my frustration over the radio. But as I mentioned in the press conference in Saudi, I want to change myself, and I’m sure you will see the difference in how I handle situations from that race onwards. I’m pleased that I was able to make some progress in that regard. It won’t be easy to continue improving, but that’s what I’m aiming for and what I have to do. It wasn’t easy, even without a helmet, I was biting my tongue in frustration.”
He added, “I didn’t realize that it would take so much energy, more than the physical strain on my neck or the G-forces during the race. It will probably take more time for me to get used to it, but at least I achieved some progress this time, and I’m confident that I can continue to do so.”