Red Bull hints at long-awaited Tsunoda F1 test

Japanese racer Yuki Tsunoda could be in line for a long-awaited Red Bull test

Red Bull has hinted that Yuki Tsunoda could get his first test for the team after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Autosport revealed over the Austin weekend that Japanese manufacturer Honda was pushing hard for Tsunoda to be given a run for Red Bull’s main squad.

Up until now, he has only tested and raced for the junior AlphaTauri/RB operations, and his drives in a Red Bull car have been limited to demo events.

But Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that the squad could give him that first opportunity at the end of the season.

Asked by Autosport if there was a chance of Red Bull accepting Honda’s request for a Tsunoda test, Marko said: “We have some plans for Abu Dhabi, yes. But we have various drivers, you know. We have [Isack] Hadjar, for example, and now we have Liam [Lawson].”

Although it is not clear the specifics of what Marko is referring to, the most likely scenario could be for Tsunoda to drive the Red Bull RB20 in the post-season tyre test.
This test takes place on the Tuesday after the season finale and teams are required to run two cars in it.

One car must be piloted by a driver who holds an official F1 Superlicence and is for tyre testing, while the other is for young drivers who have not competed in more than two grands prix in their career.

If Red Bull’s current drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez elect to skip the test, then Red Bull could slot Tsunoda in its RB20, with Lawson driving for RB.

The team could then put a young driver like Hadjar in one of its cars, with other contenders being Honda junior Ayumu Iwasa or even simulator driver Jake Dennis, who got a run in a practice session last year.

The final choice will likely be influenced by whether or not Red Bull feels that one of the current RB drivers should step up to the main squad next year if Sergio Perez does not perform well enough in the closing stages of this season.

Lawson has been drafted in for the final races as replacement for Daniel Ricciardo with a view to being evaluated by Red Bull. The New Zealander impressed over the Austin weekend – coming from the back of the grid thanks to an engine change penalty to finish ninth.

Speaking about Lawson’s weekend, Marko said: “Perfect! It was already when he was P3 in Q1, then they made their tactical games [to not set a competitive time in Q2].

“To go from P19 to P9, with all his lap times, and also his overtaking with [Fernando] Alonso, because [on Saturday] Alonso was complaining.

“I think he was really surprised and all of a sudden he was there. He's a very tough racer, and he showed that he has the speed.”

Speaking to Autosport last weekend, Koji Watanabe, the president of Honda’s racing arm HRC, said he was pushing hard for Tsunoda to get a Red Bull run.

"We believe he has the talent. Of course, driver decisions are ultimately up to the team, but as a partner we’ve strongly requested that Tsunoda be given the chance to drive and test in a Red Bull car,” he said.

“We want to at least give him the opportunity to showcase his ability. I’ve also spoken directly with Christian about this. He hasn’t ruled it out. Nothing has been decided yet, but I think we need to proceed properly."