Tsunoda can dream of Red Bull: 'My priority is the seat next to Verstappen'

Yuki Tsunoda was not thought of, until last week, to be an option at all for the Austrians, who may be looking for a successor to Sergio Perez in 2025. The Japanese driver himself is not too worried yet about what might be in store for him.

"No, not so far," Tsunoda responds to GPblog and others. "We know anyway that everything is more performance-related. If the result is good, things automatically come. We have to focus on ourselves first. We had a busy, busy, off-season time. We still need to get used to it and have to rebuild the process to get started properly. See how it goes. I'm just focused now on performance."

Still, Tsunoda will also keep an eye on the shifts in the driver market with an oblique eye. "Obviously, as a driver, if I get more interest from other teams, that'd be great, which proves how you drove well and how you get valued from other teams. So that's what I'm aiming for, obviously. First priority will be Red Bull. That's what I'm aiming for. To do that, I need to show on the track how good I am."

His teammate at Visa Cash App RB is also an option to come and drive alongside Max Verstappen. However, Tsunoda does not expect the relationship with Daniel Ricciardo to be strained as a result. "I'm sure we will be okay. We know Formula One, this is our life. We have to beat teammates. They are our main competitors. I experienced it last year with three drivers, so, I think that's okay."