F1
Yuki Tsunoda Labels Potential Liam Lawson Promotion to Red Bull ‘Weird,’ Calls for Fair Assessment Amid Perez Speculation
Yuki Tsunoda shares his thoughts on the idea of Liam Lawson joining Red Bull, calling it "weird." He added, "It would be strange if they picked Liam."
Yuki Tsunoda believes it would be “strange” if Red Bull chose Liam Lawson over him as a replacement for Sergio Perez.
There has been rampant speculation that Red Bull might drop Perez during the summer break due to his poor performance since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Perez's string of disappointing performances has left Red Bull exposed in the F1 constructors' championship, especially with McLaren making a strong comeback.
Multiple sources indicate that Red Bull is contemplating swapping Perez for Lawson, who recently underwent a test for the team. Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo are also being considered for the position.
Tsunoda has consistently outshined Ricciardo in the 2024 season, yet it seems Red Bull remains hesitant to offer the Japanese racer a spot next to Max Verstappen.
While speaking before the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Crash.net present in the paddock, Tsunoda discussed the rumors about the second seat in Red Bull.
"Yes, I believe I am entitled to sit next to Max," he stated.
"If I weren't prepared, I wouldn't have been able to reveal the upcoming season at VCARB."
"I feel more prepared than I have in the past three years to compete with the leading teams, aim for higher rankings, and even challenge Max. Ultimately, they will make the final decisions, and that's beyond my control."
“I’m concentrating on my tasks for the upcoming two races. Haas is closing in, so I need to stay sharp and work closely with our team. We’ll see how things unfold. Just like in the past races, my focus is on my performance and what I need to accomplish.”
Tsunoda was questioned regarding the possibility of Lawson being promoted to Red Bull instead of him.
The present Red Bull driver referred to the situation as "strange," noting that Tsunoda believes he has demonstrated his abilities more than Lawson.
Tsunoda commented, "It would be strange if they picked Liam. He performed well during the simulation, but I believe I accomplished even more."
"We'll find out what happens. Ultimately, they have experience in handling the drivers."
Tsunoda also mentioned that he has not had any "serious discussions" with Christian Horner or Helmut Marko so far.
"It's not like formal discussions," he clarified. "It's more like casual conversations as if in a friendly setting. I suppose there's no urgency. Checo's continuation was confirmed a few races ago. Checo has been performing excellently, and when a driver is doing well, there's no reason to replace them."
Ultimately, their actions benefitted Checo, as they aimed to avoid putting any pressure on him, which is unquestionably reasonable.
“They preferred that I concentrate on my current tasks and driving, so we haven't had an in-depth discussion yet.”
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