Yuki Tsunoda revealed that his goal during Tuesday's test in Max Verstappen's championship-winning Red Bull car in Abu Dhabi was to "impress."
With the lineups of Red Bull's two teams still clearly up in the air, most paddock insiders believe Liam Lawson is the leading candidate to replace Sergio Perez. The matter was reportedly discussed during a key meeting held the day after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and just a day before Tsunoda took the wheel of the RB20.
"I don't think it will be tomorrow," Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko said on Sunday, referring to the timing of the lineup announcements. "And of course, we will wait for the results of Yuki's test," he added.
Tsunoda admitted he wasn't sure what program he would be running during the test but remained optimistic about leaving an impression. "If we don't go for performance, there are other things I can impress them with," he said. "So I'm confident."
Despite his confidence, the 24-year-old has acknowledged he may not be Red Bull's first choice to partner Verstappen. "It's up to them to make a decision," Tsunoda said. "It's clear that I delivered this year."
Not everyone agrees with Tsunoda's assessment. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg remarked: "It's a difficult decision for Red Bull. The options are not great. Lawson is not very experienced. Still, it seems like they are going to choose him. Tsunoda didn't perform that great this year either."
Regarding the test results, Carlos Sainz—driving a Williams for the first time—posted times faster than both Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto had achieved in qualifying. Meanwhile, Tsunoda's pace was about a second slower than Perez's qualifying time in the same car.
Nonetheless, Tsunoda expressed satisfaction with his performance in the RB20. "Straight away, I felt the limitations of the car," he explained. "If you don't have confidence in the car, you can't feel those limitations. I didn't really struggle much to adapt. I am more happy than ever at the moment."
Red Bull engineers also voiced their approval of Tsunoda's contributions during the test, with Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies stating: "It would be a lie to say Yuki isn't ready."
The primary questions now revolve around whether Red Bull can successfully negotiate the termination of Perez's 2025 contract—rumoured to be worth $16 million—and whether Tsunoda or Lawson will ultimately get the seat.
"There's a bit of a battle going on at the moment," Rosberg noted, citing the rumoured value of Perez's deal.
2009 world champion Jenson Button, meanwhile, suggested that Tsunoda is the logical replacement for Perez. "He gets new teammates all the time, and he keeps beating them," Button observed. "But if I was him, I'm not so sure I would want to drive next to Max Verstappen. I think it's the most difficult seat in the entire pitlane."
