Max Verstappen warned by Yuki Tsunoda with Red Bull starlet ready to replace Sergio Perez
Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen is prepared to take Sergio Perez’s place after Yuki Tsunoda warns him.
Yuki Tsunoda has warned Max Verstappen that he is ready to ‘fight hard’ with the three-time world champion if he gets the honour of replacing Sergio Perez and becoming the Dutchman’s new team-mate for the 2025 campaign.
The Japanese driver is putting together an exceptional campaign and with 14 races completed, he leads experienced team-mate Daniel Ricciardo 22-12 in the VCARB head-to-head
With seven top-10 finishes in 14 Grands Prix, Tsunoda’s performances have caught the eye of Red Bull bosses with Helmut Marko in particular taking a keen interest in his progress. Perez, meanwhile, continues to struggle, and his time at the Milton Keynes-based outfit could be over at the end of the season.
Speaking to RacingNews365, Tsunoda explained: “I think I can fight hard with him. I won’t make life easy for him, for sure. Obviously, he’s very fast and he’s very consistent. So drivers’ championship-wise, I wouldn’t say I have massive confidence that I can straight away beat him in the drivers’ championship from the first year.”
While Tsunoda’s performances have made him a standout candidate to replace the struggling Perez, he isn’t the only name in the conversation. Despite losing in the intra-team fight as things stand, Ricciardo is also an option for Red Bull.
The experienced Aussie has a strong commercial appeal and is a known quantity, having driven five campaigns for Red Bull between 2014 and 2018. Liam Lawson’s name has also been touted, despite the fact that the New Zealander has yet to complete a full season in F1.
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