Christian Horner Confirms Yuki Tsunoda to Drive Red Bull RB20 in Abu Dhabi F1 Test

Photo: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

26. 10. 2024 18:18 CET
3 min

Christian Horner Confirms Yuki Tsunoda to Drive Red Bull RB20 in Abu Dhabi F1 Test

Eliška Ryšánková
News.GP journalist who’s all about the thrilling worlds of MotoGP and Formula 1.

Formula 1 christianhorner yukitsunoda redbullracing

Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, has officially announced that Yuki Tsunoda will drive the RB20 in Formula 1's post-season test in Abu Dhabi. This opportunity marks Tsunoda's first substantial test in Red Bull machinery, following Honda's push for a more competitive setting. As speculation grows around future Red Bull driver line-ups, Horner reaffirmed Sergio Perez's contract for 2025 but acknowledged ongoing discussions about team placements.

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Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, has officially confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda will drive the RB20 in F1's post-season test.

Although Tsunoda has only experienced Red Bull cars in demonstration events, he previously drove the RB18 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, wearing an open-face helmet and goggles.

Honda has actively advocated for Tsunoda to test a Red Bull in a more realistic setting, and Koji Watanabe, president of Honda’s racing division, recently shared publicly that Honda had strongly requested Tsunoda be given the chance to test in a Red Bull car.

Horner said that Tsunoda’s test drive had been planned for some time and expressed interest in seeing how Tsunoda performs in a top-tier car.

"Yuki is part of the junior team, and we’ve discussed this with Honda," Horner stated. "He will test the car during the post-season tire test, and this has been arranged for quite a while. It will be valuable for him to have this experience and work with Red Bull Racing engineers in a Red Bull car."

The test comes as Tsunoda’s future with Red Bull looks uncertain. His teammate, Liam Lawson, has already driven the RB20 in a tire test earlier this year and has been linked as a possible replacement for Sergio Perez, whose recent performance has been under scrutiny.

When Horner was asked if a decision would be made about drivers at the season’s end, potentially with Lawson stepping up to Red Bull, he said that Perez remains under contract for next season.

"As I mentioned before, Checo is contracted through 2025," Horner confirmed. "We also have a seat open at VCARB, but all of these drivers are Red Bull Racing team members on loan. We have the time to sit down with Laurent [Mekies, RB team principal] and Peter [Bayer, RB CEO] to consider all options."

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