84-race driver actually wanted to leave his F1 team before the 2024 season but his exit was blocked

Follow us on Google Discover

The 2024 F1 season has been enthralling both on and off the track with the driver’s market frequently taking centre stage in between – and sometimes during – race weekends.

Daniel Ricciardo’s exit from RB after the Singapore Grand Prix brought about the second permanent driver change of the campaign after Franco Colapinto replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams earlier in the year.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Visa Cash App RB F1 Team from team principal to Red Bull relationship

It’s handed Liam Lawson his second opportunity to earn a full-time Formula 1 race seat with six Grand Prix remaining to convince RB – and potentially even Red Bull – that he should be on the grid in 2025.

At the time of writing, only Aston Martin, McLaren and Red Bull will go into next year with their current line-ups, but journalist Mat Coch has suggested on the Pit Talk Podcast that one manufacturer had to convince one of their drivers to stay put this year.

Teams and drivers are always looking up and down the grid – and occasionally outside of the paddock entirely – for their next opportunity.

A trio of rookies are already confirmed for 2025, but even the current drivers are assessing what’s going on around them in the hope of earning a better contract or driving a slightly faster car.

Coch has now suggested that Yuki Tsunoda was keen on an exit from RB at the end of the 2023 season.

The Japanese driver – who has 84 Grand Prix to his name – wanted to explore his options but clauses in his Red Bull contract blocked any potential move.

Yuki Tsunoda wanted to leave RB before the start of the 2024 season

The situation within both Red Bull-backed teams is on a knife edge and talking about the situation, Coch said: “Well we know he’s [Perez] in breach of that [contract] going back to the first summer break, not this summer break, the one before it.

“He had to be within x number of points of Max Verstappen, he wasn’t and therefore he’s in breach of his contract for next year.

“We believe that was a clause that was introduced as part of the negotiation for the 2025 deal.

“Interesting that Tsunoda has been linked to Red Bull, I wonder if that’s just Helmut Marko applying pressure because a little birdy has told me that Tsunoda didn’t want to be at RB this year.

READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

“He wanted to move elsewhere, but Red Bull and Honda basically had options on him and so that’s where he stuck.

“Of course, Honda isn’t with Red Bull or RB therefore at the end of next year, so, could be interesting to see where Yuki Tsunoda ends up and if he looks good in green.”

Yuki Tsunoda was on several F1 teams’ radar for the 2025 season

Tsunoda is in an awkward position as he prepares to enter a fifth season with Red Bull’s junior team in 2025.

Helmut Marko has teased that Tsunoda is under consideration for Sergio Perez’s seat, but team principal Christian Horner still needs convincing that Tsunoda is capable of racing for Red Bull.

At this point, it’s easy to understand why Tsunoda would have jumped at the chance to leave RB at the end of last year when he’s watched the likes of Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon all kick on after leaving the Red Bull group.

Tsunoda was under consideration at Sauber this year before they changed management, although he would have had to endure a season of pain before Audi’s upcoming takeover.

Haas also considered trying to sign Tsunoda, but they ended up replacing both of their current drivers with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.

The suggestion is Tsunoda could join Aston Martin in 2026 when Honda becomes their exclusive power unit supplier.

However, it’s hard to see him replacing Fernando Alonso, while Lance Stroll’s position in the team appears to be untouchable.