Yuki Tsunoda shares what he wants to learn from Max Verstappen as he aims for Red Bull seat

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Red Bull Racing are well aware of how crucial the Dutch Grand Prix is to their short-term success and the long-term future of the team.

Sergio Perez survived the summer break after another disappointing race at Spa and will continue as Max Verstappen’s teammate for at least the next few races.

RB will therefore line up with Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo once again although only the Japanese driver has a contract for 2025.

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With Liam Lawson waiting in the wings, it means the 24-year-old can begin to think about his future in Formula 1 while Helmut Marko and Christian Horner ponder their next steps for the other RB car.

However, Tsunoda has ambitions to eventually earn a promotion to the senior Red Bull team.

Tsunoda wasn’t happy with asked about Lawson potentially replacing Perez as he believes his experience should put him at the front of the queue.

In an interview with RacingNews365, the Japanese driver was speaking about his experience in Formula 1 so far, his ambitions and what he can still improve upon.

Within the Red Bull group, he’s got the perfect person to learn racecraft from in Verstappen who is proving to be an expert at delivering the maximum from a car that’s no longer dominating the rest of the grid.

It’s putting further pressure on Perez with the Dutchman highlighting just how big the difference is between Red Bull’s two drivers.

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Yuki Tsunoda shares what he can still learn from Max Verstappen

Talking about how he would fare if paired with Verstappen at Red Bull, Tsunoda said: “I have confidence that I can fight hard against him, and [there is] a lot of things I can learn, especially consistency with any conditions like half-wet, dry, dry-wet, wet conditions.

“Multiple condition changes, he’s always somehow adapted really, really well.

“That’s why he was very consistent last year, being able to 19 races and last year, there were a lot of multiple weather changes [during races] and those moments won’t be as much car-performance dominated.

“If you’re a really bad driver and driving a good car, you’re still [a] bad driver and will easily lose positions, so that’s why he’s [Verstappen] able to win consistently. So, those things, for sure, I can learn a lot.”

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What chance does Yuki Tsunoda have of earning a Red Bull promotion?

On paper, Tsunoda should have been at the front of the list of drivers at Red Bull if they wanted to part ways with Perez.

He’s scored more points than teammate Daniel Ricciardo who hasn’t hit the heights expected after being recruited to replace Nyck de Vries last year.

However, Ricciardo has turned a corner and in the races leading up to the summer break, he more than matched the Japanese driver.

Ricciardo was Red Bull’s chosen Perez replacement and before then Horner was set to turn to Lawson to fill in for the Mexican driver for the rest of the season.

It seems very harsh on Ricciardo’s teammate but Red Bull management wasn’t convinced Tsunoda could deal with the step up.

It leaves questions marks over whether Tsunoda has a long-term future with the team or if he should explore options elsewhere on the grid.