What Yuki Tsunoda did during AlphaTauri test before his F1 debut that’s ‘the stuff of legend’

Follow us on Google Discover

Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda is currently having the most successful campaign of his Formula 1 career.

Four seasons into his time in F1, Yuki Tsunoda is leading the way in the V-CARB team ahead of more experienced teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

It’s why the Japanese driver has already been tied down to a new contract for 2025 while Ricciardo sweats over his future.

Tsunoda is a fan favourite on the grid as the 24-year-old is one of the most eccentric drivers in the paddock.

He’s also a seriously entertaining racer to watch on the track, with exceptional raw speed and the ability to make fantastic overtaking moves.

Despite all that, Red Bull still aren’t considering promoting Tsunoda even though Sergio Perez’s future is in serious doubt.

It begs the question of why Red Bull decided to hand him a fifth season with the team in 2025 if they never plan to give him the seat that every driver in the Red Bull group is aiming for.

Speaking on The Race Members Club Podcast, journalist Edd Straw shared a story about when Tsunoda first started driving for V-CARB’s predecessors AlphaTauri in testing.

One of the things Tsunoda is best known for is his colourful radio messages.

Tsunoda was furious with Ricciardo during the opening race of the season in Bahrain after being asked to let the Australian pass him during the final stint of the race.

It’s an aspect of the Japanese driver’s racecraft that may have hampered his chances of earning that promotion but does make him an incredibly entertaining driver to watch.

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

Yuki Tsunoda’s radio chat ‘the stuff of legends’ at V-CARB

After speaking about Franco Colapinto’s impressive FP1 outing at Silverstone, Straw said: “Another one on that basis [after Franco Colapinto’s FP1 debut] is when Yuki Tsunoda was first testing for AlphaTauri, particularly the latest test he did in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season before he came in.

“The team was absolutely astonished by the amount of talking and noise and stuff going on, it’s the stuff of legend within that team how noisy he was!”

Yuki Tsunoda has earned the respect of Helmut Marko this season and the fact he’s calmed down since his introduction to the sport has aided his development.

However, it’s going to be fascinating to see what Tsunoda’s long-term future looks like if he continues to be overlooked by Red Bull.

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

Where does Yuki Tsunoda fit in Red Bull’s potential merry-go-round of drivers?

There are two races before the summer break this season and despite only one driver in the Red Bull group – Ricciardo – not signed up for 2025, there could be plenty of change within the two teams before heading to Max Verstappen’s home race at Zandvoort.

Sergio Perez has clauses in his contract that would allow Red Bull to drop him during the summer break unless he somehow massively outscores Verstappen in Hungary and Belgium.

Liam Lawson could earn a direct promotion as a result of Perez’s form which would be a blow to Tsunoda and Ricciardo.

The Australian driver is also in trouble and Ricciardo could also be set to miss out on a seat on the grid in 2025 with Red Bull keen to promote their young talents.

Isack Hadjar is the next driver on that list and is currently leading the Formula 2 championship.

However, Hadjar failed to impress during his Silverstone FP1 outing which may have sewn some seeds of doubt.

Although there are only half a dozen available seats on next year’s grid, there’s still an awful lot that could change between now and the opening round of the 2025 season.