Laurent Mekies Hints at Red Bull Future for Yuki Tsunoda

VCARB team principal Laurent Mekies has acknowledged that it is the team's responsibility to provide Yuki Tsunoda with the right environment and "the right tools" to ensure he can elevate his performance to the next level. The comments arrive after the Japanese driver saw an impressive improvement last year and was even considered for a promotion to Red Bull.

Tsunoda outperformed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the first half of the 2024 season, despite Ricciardo having more F1 experience. His strong performances continued into the second half of the season, during which he was assessed alongside Liam Lawson for a potential Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. However, after Sergio Perez’s departure, Red Bull opted for Lawson, citing his ability to consistently deliver under pressure.

As Tsunoda embarks on his fifth year with VCARB, he has been designated the team's "reference point" for evaluating the car's performance this season and will take on a leadership role alongside rookie driver Isack Hadjar. Mekies outlined Tsunoda's massive improvement from the previous season and mentioned that the team would support him in every way to step up to the next level. He said:

“I’m super excited about our driver line-up.

“Yuki made a very big step forward last year. He really surprised us with the progress he made in terms of raw speed as well as his technical qualities.

“Last season, it’s fair to say he joined the ranks of the very good drivers.

“Now we can ask the question, is there another step to come from him? We believe there is.

“It is our job to create the right environment to make that next step possible and we must also give him the right tools for the job.

“Yuki was an integral part of all the changes that we initiated last year and now, he will be our reference point in terms of speed and what the car is doing, as he has four years’ experience in F1 and with this team.

“With Isack [Hadjar] embarking on his rookie season, Yuki will be very much the team leader, and he is a vital component of our plans for the coming season.”

Despite missing out on a Red Bull seat, Tsunoda has been named Red Bull's reserve driver for the season. This means he could temporarily step away from his VCARB02 and take the wheel of the RB21 if either Red Bull driver is unable to compete. For the season at VCARB, he hopes to start with the same spirit with which he ended the 2024 season and shared his confidence in taking it one step at a time. The 24-year-old driver added:

“At the very least, I expect to start this season where I ended the last one.

“By the end of last year, I had a stronger mindset and had more control than at the beginning of the season.

“After that, I want to be even more focused and work on improving the small margins.

“That can make the difference and allow us to continue fighting in the top 10, in what I expect to be an even tighter contest this year.

“I’ll take it step by step, but I’m feeling confident.”