Standout 2024 F1 driver ‘barely hung onto’ his race seat going into this season

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Multiple Formula 1 drivers were already under intense pressure as they landed in Bahrain for the opening race of the season. They knew they had to overcome their teams’ doubts.

Perhaps the biggest name in this boat was Sergio Perez. Perez had managed to hang onto second in the championship in 2023 but finished a record 290 points behind teammate Max Verstappen after his season unravelled.

While he survived over the winter, 2024 was a contract year. The Mexican’s solid start earned him an extension in June, but he’s now at risk again after his latest spiral.

At the back of the grid, meanwhile, Logan Sargeant was under no illusions as to the threat of losing his seat. Williams were ready to accept his one-point return in 2023 (compared to Alex Albon’s 27) on the grounds that he was a rookie.

But team boss James Vowles warned Sargeant that he had to be the ‘surprise of the season’ if he wanted to keep his drive for 2025. After making only a limited improvement, he lost his drive to Carlos Sainz.

Yuki Tsunoda nearly lost RB seat as Red Bull considered Liam Lawson

Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda was next on the chopping block at RB. From the beginning of the campaign, they’ve faced a three-into-two driver dilemma. This came after reserve driver Liam Lawson impressed in a five-race stint in 2023.

Lawson was deputising for an injured Daniel Ricciardo and stacked up well against Tsunoda despite his relative lack of experience. The New Zealander scored the team’s only points in that period by finishing ninth in Singapore.

While he lost the qualifying head-to-head 4-1, he only crossed the line behind his teammate on one occasion. This hurt the team’s faith in Tsunoda, according to former IndyCar driver and F1 pundit James Hinchcliffe.

The 24-year-old ‘barely’ kept his drive after a period of intense deliberation. Red Bull told Lawson his time would come, but Ricciardo is now the driver in danger.

“Tsunoda was one of the drivers on the grid that barely hung onto his ride for 2024,” Hinchcliffe wrote in his F1 column. “Red Bull top brass weren’t sure whether junior driver Liam Lawson had done enough to merit a ride based on how he stacked up against Tsunoda during their five-race together.

“And Tsunoda’s only other comparisons were against an underperforming Nyck de Vries and a fresh-from-retirement Daniel Ricciardo.”

Martin Brundle hands Yuki Tsunoda 2024 F1 season ‘award’

Tsunoda has emphatically addressed RB’s doubts in the first 14 races. He’s scored 22 points so far, accounting for just under 65% of the team’s total – if he’d matched Ricciardo (12), they’d be below Haas (27).

Tsunoda also leads the eight-time Grand Prix winner 9-5 in qualifying, having reached Q3 eight times to Ricciardo’s three. While he’s still had the occasional off weekend, he’s been far more consistent than his teammate.

He’s earned a contract extension at RB for the 2025 season and the respect of the F1 paddock. Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle named Tsunoda as his breakout driver of the year so far.

If anything, it’s a surprise that he’s not under consideration to replace Perez. Tsunoda hasn’t had ‘decisive’ talks with Christian Horner, who’s simply told him to concentrate on his RB campaign.