Yuki Tsunoda has observed that it seems like a tradition for rumors about the Red Bull driver line-up to emerge whenever a difficult race comes the team’s way.
In his debut for the team based in Milton Keynes, Liam Lawson faced quite the challenge. During the Australian Grand Prix, the New Zealander couldn’t make it beyond the first stage of qualifying. His fortunes didn’t change much during the race either; in unpredictable conditions, he made little headway and finally spun out as heavy rainfall caught him staying out on dry tires.
Tsunoda, who was passed over in favor of Lawson for a Red Bull promotion this year, spent a good portion of the race in the top five. However, he lost positions when the Racing Bulls gambled on keeping dry tires despite a late rain shower.
His performance did catch the eye of McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who claimed, “If you look at how he’s performed, he’s probably the guy that should be in the Red Bull.”
Nevertheless, Tsunoda pointed out that over the past few years, speculation and questions about Red Bull’s driver choices have become par for the course.
“I really appreciate Zak’s kind words, but it’s just one race,” Tsunoda mentioned to media outlets, including RacingNews365. “These rumors have been swirling since the first race last year. Daniel [Ricciardo replacing] Checo [Perez], myself [replacing] Checo, Liam [replacing] Checo—it’s a bit of a tradition for our group.”
While acknowledging the positive aspect, he added, “I just have to stay focused and keep doing what I’m doing. Ultimately, they decided on this line-up at the end of last season, and maybe they have a clear path in mind for the future. Who knows?”
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After a strategic call gone wrong in the Australian Grand Prix, Tsunoda shared that the Racing Bulls apologized for the mishap.
Running in fifth place before the unfortunate strategy gambit cost him points, the 24-year-old has only one top-five finish in his 91 F1 races, achieved during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The ever-changing weather conditions in Australia, fluctuating from one lap to the next, made for tricky decision-making. Tsunoda understood the challenge and revealed that the team acknowledged their error last weekend.
“It was tough, even for me, to keep track of every corner as each lap brought different conditions,” he explained. “One lap, the first sector was dry, and the next, it was raining heavily, and we were a bit slow to react.”
“I’m confident there wasn’t a communication issue; everything seemed fine on that front,” he continued. “The outcome simply wasn’t what any of us hoped for, as the safety car came out just after I pitted.”
Tsunoda concluded by saying, “We all know what went wrong, and the team apologized right after the race.”
