Best of Both Teams: Yuki Tsunoda’s New Red Bull Racing Role
With Red Bull Racing making numerous changes to their team to ensure Max Verstappen’s next World Championship and their next Constructors Championship, the question of the reserve driver came up. Since Sergio Perez’s Formula One exit, their previous reserve driver, Isack Hadjar, had to move up to drive for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, also known as VCARB. Last season, their other reserve driver, Liam Lawson, also debuted in Formula One to replace Daniel Ricciardo and now Perez. To ensure their best foot goes forward, VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda will take on the role of Red Bull Racing’s reserve driver, ready in case Verstappen or Lawson cannot compete in Grands Prix for the 2025 season.
With VCARB being Red Bull Racing’s sister team, it is clear that the company is focusing everything on Red Bull since they sadly lost the Constructors Championship last season. Although Yuki Tsunoda has signed as Red Bull Racing’s reserve driver, the Japanese driver will continue to drive full-time for VCARB alongside Hadjar. If Verstappen or Lawson cannot drive, Tsunoda will step in, leaving VCARB behind, and then VCARB reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa will be substituted. This isn’t the first time Red Bull Racing has done something like this. Last season, while Liam Lawson drove for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, he also stayed as Red Bulls’ reserve driver.
Since Yuki Tsunoda lost the Red Bull Racing seat to Liam Lawson, his boost to reserve driver opens the door to more opportunities for the team. Controversy follows Lawson’s seat alongside Max Verstappen since it is one of the most challenging seats on the grid, and many are worried Lawson will be unable to keep up. As a seasoned Formula One driver like Sergio Perez could not keep up with the four-time World Champion, Liam Lawson’s chances are in the air, especially since the young driver officially joined the F1 grid last season in late September. With Yuki Tsunoda driving in F1 since 2021, his experience level is much more apparent than Lawson’s, and with his new position as reserve driver, Tsunoda’s chances of taking the seat are much higher. With Red Bull’s eye on the prize, Yuki Tsunoda is ready for anything and ready to prove himself to his team and his reserve team.
