Yuki Tsunoda is a young champion in the making. The Japanese driver is firmly established now within the Red Bull stable of drivers. And when it comes to the Bulls’ poster boy, Max Verstappen, safe to say, that the duo share a more than cordial relationship, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
2023 has been a mixed bag for the 23-year-old AlphaTauri driver. On one hand, he’s been strapped into sub-par machinery. However, he has been driving the wheels off of his AT04 to bring home at least a haul of points.
🚨 Yuki Tsunoda says he would like to drive the Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s teammate
“I would like to drive in the same car.”
“Because I don’t know, obviously it’s hard, he’s good. But same time, we never drive together and obviously the car is different. So it’s hard to say… pic.twitter.com/4qahh5zxfg
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) October 13, 2023
The 2nd seat over at the main Red Bull team is a contentious subject. Sergio Perez is still contracted to the team for 2024. That being said, in the long run, given Checo’s performances, the Milton-Keynes-based outfit isn’t too keen on retaining the services of the Mexican. Naturally, the top contenders for that seat are from within the wealth of talent Red Bull already has in this sport. In his 3rd full season in the sport, Tsunoda is being tipped as a possible replacement for Perez.
Max Verstappen’s life-altering revelation to Yuki Tsunoda
Tsunoda was quoted revealing, “[Max] Verstappen is very different than he seems from the outside. He’s a very nice guy. He is the one who introduced me to a delicious gin and tonic. I am eternally grateful to him for that.”
On the face of it, Verstappen isn’t the palliest driver around and neither is Tsunoda. However, as it turns out, the duo have a striking affinity for each other. Tsunoda described his relationship with the Dutch lion as being worthy of even holidaying together!
YUKI TSUNODA IS THE SECOND FASTEST RED BULL DRIVER, THIS IS NOT A DRILL pic.twitter.com/gIWIv7kgZQ
— Max ²²🏎 (@Formula_Max22) October 6, 2023
Currently, the two drivers are faced with polarizing fates. While the RB19 in the hands of Max Verstappen has wrapped both the championships up, Tsunoda’s AT04 is struggling for pace. Red Bull sits atop the championship standings and AlphaTauri is plum last with just 5 points to their name this season.
Tsunoda is fighting on two fronts
If Yuki Tsunoda wants that Red Bull seat, he has to prove to the powers, that he is the best shot they have. But to do so, he needs to consistently outperform his teammates. Currently, while Liam Lawson had been setting his own pace, Tsunoda was more often than not ahead of him. Be that as it may, it can also be a case of experience on the side of the young Japanese driver.
He faces a rather uphill battle with Daniel Ricciardo, however. With the Australian tipped to make a comeback after his horrible crash, he would be eager to set the record straight. After all, it is a straight fight between Tsunoda and Ricciardo for that 2nd Red Bull seat come 2025.
