Red Bull insider suspects the team are ‘leaning’ towards Yuki Tsunoda over Liam Lawson after what he’s seen

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The Las Vegas Grand Prix was another disaster for Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda, but he might have had something to smile about behind the scenes.

The driver market hasn’t been a big talking point this season, but Red Bull and Racing Bulls have been at the centre of discussions since Mercedes confirmed they were sticking with their current line-up.

Max Verstappen will be a Red Bull driver for at least one more year, and Isack Hadjar is expected to be promoted from Racing Bulls after a stellar debut season.

Racing Bulls look set to hand Arvid Lindblad his Formula 1 debut in 2026 as the only rookie on the grid.

That leaves Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson fighting for the final spot on the grid and to be Lindblad’s teammate next year.

Journalist Matt Majendie has been embedded within the Red Bull team all season, and what he spotted at the recent Las Vegas Grand Prix suggests that the decision might be ‘leaning’ Tsunoda’s way based on how both drivers were acting in the paddock.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Yuki Tsunoda’s body language suggests Red Bull are ‘leaning’ towards keeping him over Liam Lawson

Majendie was sharing what he witnessed at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on The Inside Track podcast.

Tsunoda’s disappointing weekend was the topic of conversation, and Majendie said: “Interestingly, on the driver thing, I don’t think Yuki is dead and buried necessarily.

“I chatted to Laurent this morning. The decisions are definitely going to be made after Qatar. And I said, well, you must know what it is and he said, “Oh, 90%,” which is a sort of curious answer.

“It would seem absolutely clear that Isack Hadjar is alongside Verstappen, I think Arvid Lindblad is coming into Racing Bulls, and it’s a straight fight out between Lawson and Tsunoda.

“I found myself this weekend reading into the body language. Oh, does Liam look happier? Does Yuki look happier? Sort of trying to work out which one.

“And I have the sort of sense that it’s leaning a bit more towards Yuki, which I don’t know whether that’s fair or not, whether there’s politics, whether there’s sponsorship, whether there’s money behind it, whatever it is, I don’t know the answer despite attempts and Laurent very much laughing off my attempts to try and find out the answer.

“But yeah, we’ve got a week to find out, and then we’ll know.”

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Liam Lawson seen as a better mentor to Arvid Lindblad than Yuki Tsunoda

There are so many factors that go into Red Bull’s decision on Lawson and Tsunoda that it’s no wonder that Laurent Mekies’ team have already delayed their decision once.

If Tsunoda is demoted, then it’s very hard to see him ever returning to Red Bull again, putting him in the same situation as Lawson.

Lawson has outscored Tsunoda since their swap at the Japanese Grand Prix, and the Red Bull driver’s best performance of the season was overshadowed by the New Zealander, who finished directly ahead of him in Azerbaijan.

Red Bull also see Lawson as a perfect mentor for Lindblad, which, considering how highly they rate the British teenager, might give him the edge when a final decision is made.

However, despite Red Bull’s relationship with Honda ending this year, they will still need to use the Japanese manufacturer’s engines as part of their TPC program, which might give Tsunoda an edge.

It’s going to be fascinating to see what direction they go in after the Qatar Grand Prix, and the upcoming Sprint weekend might tip the scales towards one driver.