Sergio Perez has shown his support for Yuki Tsunoda, expressing confidence that the Japanese driver possesses the “right mentality” to thrive at Red Bull. Tsunoda is stepping into the spotlight this weekend for his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix. He’s taking over from Liam Lawson, who has made his return to Racing Bulls.
With this switch, Tsunoda becomes the third racer to team up with Max Verstappen in the span of just four races, following the departure of Perez at the close of the 2024 season. Perez faced a challenging final year with Red Bull, grappling with extracting speed from the car. Lawson encountered similar difficulties during the first two races of the current season.
Perez remains optimistic about Red Bull overcoming its challenges and continues to stand by the team, despite his past troubles. “I really want the team to do well, as I have a lot of friends at the team,” Perez shared with F1.com. “I spent four years with them and I want to see them thriving. It’s a tough subject to discuss.”
He added, “Right now, being on the outside makes it hard to really know what’s going on. I’ve kept in touch with some team members, but without being there, it’s a bit of a mystery.”
As for Tsunoda, he’s received an encouraging nod from Perez as he becomes the most seasoned Red Bull junior to be promoted to the main team in his fifth year in F1. At just 24, Tsunoda faces the formidable task of succeeding where others have faltered, aiming to stay as competitive as possible with Verstappen to score vital points in the constructors’ championship.
Perez expressed his belief in Tsunoda’s capabilities, saying, “The car is quite challenging to handle and getting the confidence out of it was tough for me too. Even Adrian [Newey] mentioned similar struggles.” He continued, “I wish them the best, especially since Woody, a close friend of mine, is now engineering Yuki. I’m really pulling for them.”
“Tsunoda has talent and speed, but more importantly, he has the mentality needed to handle the challenges. I think he has the right mindset and attitude to manage it well. I sincerely hope they will flourish.”
