Nico Rosberg explains why Yuki Tsunoda isn’t in contention to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull

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The Red Bull Racing driver situation has once again reached a crescendo after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Christian Horner’s team are well known for making cut-throat decisions when it comes to their drivers and it appears as though Daniel Ricciardo is set to become the latest Red Bull star to suffer that fate.

Although Ricciardo currently drives for RB, he’s signed to a central Red Bull contract meaning even team principal Laurent Mekies doesn’t have a final say on his future.

It’s one of the reasons why he couldn’t give a straight answer on the Australian’s future at the weekend, although contractually Red Bull may not have been able to announce Ricciardo’s exit in Singapore.

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Another driver under pressure is Sergio Perez after a disappointing pair of results before the summer break returned just a single point.

Perez should have secured his first Grand Prix podium since China in Baku, but a late crash with Carlos Sainz denied him any points.

There’s a suggestion that Liam Lawson may be replacing Ricciardo to see whether he could step into Perez’s seat in 2025 with the Mexican driver one of the main reasons why Red Bull look set to lose the Constructors’ Championship this year.

All this begs the question about where Yuki Tsunoda fits into the equation having had a decent season with RB and earned a contract extension to spend a fifth season with Red Bull’s sister team.

Nico Rosberg was speaking on Sky Sports F1 and shared why he believes the Japanese driver continues to be overlooked.

Staying on the Formula 1 grid isn’t easy and Tsunoda isn’t going to turn down a seat at RB unless he’s offered an alternative elsewhere.

While Tsunoda did hold talks with other teams for 2025, it’s hard to see him having a long-term future at Red Bull while he continues to be overlooked as a potential teammate for Max Verstappen.

Nico Rosberg explains why Red Bull keep overlooking RB driver Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda failed to finish the race in Baku after a collision with Lance Stroll on the opening lap damaged his car too badly to complete the race.

He shone in qualifying in Singapore to reach Q3, but a poor start scuppered his chances of adding to his tally of 22 points for this season.

Asked what sort of future Tsunoda has within Red Bull, Rosberg said: “Well I think Yuki is doing well and his peaks are very strong like yesterday, he really did a good qualifying.

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“The problem is there’s a bit of inconsistency there, his attitude sometimes is very aggressive and that’s why he was looked over this year when they were looking to replace Perez potentially.

“So that definitely came as a bit of a blow to him because I’m sure he had hopes of that but anyway, he’s doing a good job at RB.”

Yuki Tsunoda proved in Singapore that Red Bull’s concerns about his temperament are legitimate

Tsunoda is one of a handful of drivers on the grid to have never finished on the podium which isn’t a huge surprise given the team he’s spent his entire F1 career with.

However, he’s only ever shown glimpses of having the potential to be a world-class F1 driver.

His performance in Mexico in 2023 stands out as he looked rapid up until his misjudged move on Oscar Piastri cost him points.

Tsunoda’s outburst at Lance Stroll during practice in Singapore may have been caused by some leftover frustration from their coming together at the previous race.

But it also shows that when he needs to remain calm under pressure, he might not always be capable of doing so.

Martin Brundle at least had some sympathy with Tsunoda during the race because of an unnecessary radio message he received while he chased down the final positions in the top ten.

The Japanese driver is undeniably fast, but questions will likely be raised about his long-term future in Formula 1 once the 2025 season rolls around.