It’s a tragedy to watch. The last few weeks have been catastrophic for Sergio Perez. The Mexican’s performance crisis is so bad that rumors are circulating about a new driver in his Red Bull cockpit during the summer break – despite a recent contract extension. There is a lot of speculation about who could take over. With Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, the options are numerous within the Red Bull family alone. Tsunoda, who has had an impressive season with the Racing Bulls so far, senses his chance.
“Of course I’m ready,” says Tsunoda, who extended his contract with Racing Bulls at the beginning of June. The sister team wanted to keep the young Japanese, but he was not considered for the Red Bull seat at the time. “Compared to the last three years, I now feel ready to fight against the top teams in higher positions, and even with Max,” says the 24-year-old. “I deserve to sit next to Max.”
However, the Japanese driver’s confidence and conviction are not enough for his promotion. “In the end, Red Bull decides and these are things that I cannot control,” Tsunoda knows. “So I’m just concentrating on what I have to do in the next races. I have to concentrate on my own team first.”
Sergio Perez out – Yuki Tsunoda in?
Rumours say a driver change is imminent, but Tsunoda puts a stop to the speculation. “I haven’t had a clear conversation with Christian [Horner] or Helmut [Marko]”, reveals the Racing Bulls driver. “We talk in the paddock, but there are no concrete discussions. They don’t rush the decision.”
There is also no certainty about Perez’s departure. “Checo’s contract was recently extended,” recalls Tsunoda. “Perhaps he will soon perform really well again and then there will be no reason to change drivers,” the Japanese driver thinks. “In the end, it is definitely a good thing for Checo because they don’t want to put any pressure on them. That is definitely fair.”
Red Bull seat or not, Tsunoda’s task is clear. “Red Bull wants me to concentrate on what I’m doing right now,” says the 24-year-old. “If you believe the rumours, the next races are crucial, but to be honest I don’t know much about what the situation really looks like. Every race is very important to me anyway. I don’t feel any additional pressure because of it. At the end of the day, my focus is on my current team.”
The Japanese driver is also unmoved by the rumors surrounding tests with Liam Lawson. “It would be strange if Red Bull decided to go with Liam,” said Tsunoda. “Liam did a really good job when he drove last season, but I did more than that. So we’ll see how it goes. Red Bull ultimately knows how to manage drivers.”
Is Sergio Perez Max Verstappen’s worst teammate so far? In this article, MSM analyzes how bad the Mexican’s performance really is: