Yuki Tsunoda believes the final two races with RB F1 in the 2024 season are “more important” to his chances of landing a drive with Red Bull in Formula 1 than his next test.
Tsunoda, who has expressed his frustration with the situation on several occasions, admitted he had no idea if Red Bull were considering him as an option to replace Sergio Perez if the latter were to be sidelined.
“I don't know. Please, could you interview them and find out? Even if they say in the interview, even if they say, 'oh, Yuki's in the mix,' I don't know not whether it's true or not, to be honest.”
“I hope so but otherwise, I don't know what to do to be honest. But I'm going to keep pushing on the things that I can control because for the Red Bull seat, it's not me who decides.”
“I'm sure that if I'm in the seat I can definitely fight for a constructors' championship in a better way, which is what they want. But other things, political, decide all that.”
Tsunoda questioned whether the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 had any impact on the reluctance to give him a chance with the parent team.
“Historically, looking back, it's pretty natural that the driver on our team, one of the drivers who consistently outperforms the other driver over the last few years, gets promoted. It's kind of a natural thing, I assumed.”
“I don't know, maybe something changed. Like the dynamic changed maybe after Red Bull itself changed after Mr. Mateschitz died. I don't know.”
“Still, one of the drivers won the drivers' championship and the team has been successful for quite a while. So what they're doing, I guess it's not a bad thing. But it doesn't It doesn't really make sense to me. I don't really see any reason why they aren't quite willing to talk about my promotion. But let's see.
Asked if it was frustrating that 22 races weren't enough for him to negotiate the seat at Red Bull, Tsunoda replied: “For me, I got used to it.”
“It's just throughout the year. I thought what I said, especially since Daniel Ricciardo came, I thought one or the other would go to Red Bull.”
“Maybe they're dealing with some tough things, some different things that I probably don't know about or we don't know about in the background.”
“I'm just going to force them with my results or my performances to think that 'maybe we really need Yuki to be in this place'. I just have to force things with my performances.”
Tsunoda will get his first experience driving a modern Red Bull when he tests the reigning champion's RB20 at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi next month.
However, the Japanese driver believes helping RB F1 in their battle for sixth place in the constructors' championship will have a greater influence on his hopes at Red Bull.
“Now what I can imagine as a test is just a test. I mean, over the years so far, the way they see me, the way they see me since Red Bull, I 'I feel like the test is just a test.'
“It's definitely more important to do well in the next two races rather than for the test. I hope that the test will maybe add a little bit more, I guess, a better impression or a better picture of exactly who I am in as a pilot.”
“But I think the next two races are a little more important to be in the final consideration.”
Tsunoda revealed that he felt Red Bull's F1 2024 would suit his driving based on the preparation work he did in the simulator.
“I've done some simulation work with them. It's a pretty fast car. I've just driven our car so far.”
“But in the simulator at least it's different and nice to drive. You know, like the amount of speed you can get into the corner and it's pretty close, really close to our car, but it's just awesome .”
“But when I was driving it was a pretty nice feeling. I don't think, at least for now, that what I experienced in the simulator, that the car won't suit me. I think in Actually, the car suits me well, so yes, it's rather encouraging.”
