RB team principal Laurent Mekies has backed Yuki Tsunoda for a promotion to Red Bull for the 2025 season.Tsunoda, as well as team-mate Liam Lawson, have been linked with a step up to Red Bull in place of Sergio Perez who endured a wretched campaign this year.Tsunoda made his Red Bull debut at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi earlier this week and declared he didn't “struggle much at all to adapt” to the RB20.The Japanese driver is entering his fifth F1 campaign next year having spent his first four at the sister RB squad.Mekies has stated Tsunoda's performances over the past 12 months are enough to showcase he is ready to line up alongside Max Verstappen.“It’s a fair question,” Mekies told media including RacingNews365. “If a driver performs at the level of speed that he's performing right now, it would be a lie to tell you that he's not ready for something even faster. It would be a lie.“He has put that car in P3 in Brazil, in P7 in Vegas on the grid. Who am I to tell you that he's not ready to get a faster car? Of course he's ready to get a faster car.” Mekies praises Tsunoda growth Red Bull was critical of Tsunoda in the past for his consistent outburst over the team radio.Tsunoda directly pinpointed it as a weakness - but Mekies has insisted he has shown strong growth in that area, as well as providing feedback, during the 2024 campaign.“In terms of what he has been doing [out of the] car, yes, he has made a huge improvement as well, both in terms of feedback and in terms of controlling his emotions.“Every team situation is different, but I think to tell you, ‘no, no, I don't think he's ready’ for an environment or another, I will not be able to tell you that.“You could say that another [driver] has another set of skills that is as ready or as good for that environment.“But for sure, both drivers today are ready to go to the next steps.”

Tsunoda backed for Red Bull step up in F1 'lie' vow

RB team principal Laurent Mekies has backed Yuki Tsunoda for a promotion to Red Bull for the 2025 season. Tsunoda, as well as team-mate Liam Lawson, have been linked with a step up to Red Bull in place of Sergio Perez who endured a wretched campaign this year. Tsunoda made his Red Bull debut at […]

RB team principal Laurent Mekies has backed Yuki Tsunoda for a promotion to Red Bull for the 2025 season.

Tsunoda, as well as team-mate Liam Lawson, have been linked with a step up to Red Bull in place of Sergio Perez who endured a wretched campaign this year.

Tsunoda made his Red Bull debut at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi earlier this week and declared he didn’t “struggle much at all to adapt” to the RB20.

The Japanese driver is entering his fifth F1 campaign next year having spent his first four at the sister RB squad.

Mekies has stated Tsunoda’s performances over the past 12 months are enough to showcase he is ready to line up alongside Max Verstappen.

“It’s a fair question,” Mekies told media including RacingNews365.

“If a driver performs at the level of speed that he’s performing right now, it would be a lie to tell you that he’s not ready for something even faster. It would be a lie.

“He has put that car in P3 in Brazil, in P7 in Vegas on the grid. Who am I to tell you that he’s not ready to get a faster car? Of course he’s ready to get a faster car.”

Mekies praises Tsunoda growth

Red Bull was critical of Tsunoda in the past for his consistent outburst over the team radio.

Tsunoda directly pinpointed it as a weakness – but Mekies has insisted he has shown strong growth in that area, as well as providing feedback, during the 2024 campaign.

“In terms of what he has been doing [out of the] car, yes, he has made a huge improvement as well, both in terms of feedback and in terms of controlling his emotions.

“Every team situation is different, but I think to tell you, ‘no, no, I don’t think he’s ready’ for an environment or another, I will not be able to tell you that.

“You could say that another [driver] has another set of skills that is as ready or as good for that environment.

“But for sure, both drivers today are ready to go to the next steps.”