Is this the reason why Red Bull won’t promote Yuki Tsunoda?
Yuki Tsunoda sat in the cockpit of his VCARB F1 car
Nico Rosberg explained that, while Yuki Tsunoda is doing a “good job” at VCARB, he believes his occasional “very aggressive” attitude and “inconsistency” is why Red Bull have not yet promoted him.
A strong start to the F1 2024 season saw Tsunoda‘s contract renewed with VCARB for a fifth year, but with Liam Lawson coming in for the final six races to replace Daniel Ricciardo, he will have a new team-mate to contend with for the remainder of 2024.
Nico Rosberg on why Yuki Tsunoda has been ‘looked over’ for Red Bull drive
While Tsunoda has enjoyed a strong season within the Red Bull pool, reports around Lawson’s arrival appear to signal a chance for him to impress for the final six races of the year – potentially even for a senior Red Bull seat, with Helmut Marko having hinted that Sergio Perez needs to “perform accordingly” to guarantee his place on the grid as contracted.
But with Tsunoda not having had a chance at the top team yet, 2016 World Champion Rosberg was full of praise for the Japanese driver’s ability, though he explained why he may not have had the opportunity to race alongside Max Verstappen as it stands.
“I think Yuki is doing well, and his peaks are very strong – like [in Singapore], he really did a great qualifying,” Rosberg said on Sky F1.
“The problem is there’s a bit of inconsistency there, then his attitude sometimes, you know, is very aggressive, and that’s why he was looked over this year when they were looking to replace Perez potentially.
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“So that definitely came as a bit of a blow to him, because I’m sure he had hopes on that, but anyway, he’s doing a good job at RB.”
With Lawson coming in alongside Tsunoda for the remainder of the year and the final six races being seen as a chance for him to impress, along with Perez needing to find his form, Rosberg said Red Bull find themselves in a tough scenario – having lost the lead of the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren in recent races.
“It’s a difficult situation for them,” Rosberg later explained on the Sky Sports F1 podcast. “The thing is that they don’t really have a replacement either.
“[Yuki] Tsunoda, they don’t see him as quite strong enough to be replacing Perez. Ricciardo is out so there’s not really a replacement, and that’s making it even more difficult.
“It’s also so strange though, with Perez, because we all know he’s a good driver, and he at times was actually challenging Max for the World Championship in small segments, even last year. And now he’s just somehow dropped so far back. It’s very, very strange.
“So anyways, yeah, they’re giving him a chance now until the end of the year, obviously, and I think they still need to review it again then for next year.
“That’s another reason that they want to try Lawson out. Because Lawson if he does amazingly well for these last six races, then certainly he would be considered for the main Red Bull seat for next year.”
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