Yuki Tsunoda throws down the gauntlet to be Sergio Perez's replacement with a bold post-test statement
Yuki Tsunoda has laid down the gauntlet in his bid to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull. The Japanese driver got his first shot at the RB20 this week and came out of the car with a glowing review of how it matched his driving style.
Red Bull is facing a conundrum as it tries to find a replacement for Sergio Perez. The options in hand for the team are Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, who have had a 6-race period where they showed how good or bad a job they can do. The problem, however, doesn't end there because Red Bull has suffered from a major issue for a while now wherein issues with the drivability of the car have meant that only Max Verstappen has been able to extract the best result from it.
This is evident in the manner in which Verstappen has dominated every driver he's been paired with since Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull. Be it Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, or Sergio Perez, none of the drivers have even been able to hold a candle to him in terms of performance.
Sergio Perez's inability to adapt to the car has led to a scenario where Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are in contention. The Japanese driver got his first crack at a Red Bull in the post-season test, and what stood out was the comfort and confidence he showed as he claimed that the car was in line with what he wanted from the machine.
Emphasizing the adaptability that he felt with the car, something that Perez has struggled with, Tsunoda said (via planetf1),
“The Abu Dhabi post-season test has been so fun today, it’s the first time in the past four years that I have driven a different car. You can physically feel why the RB20 has been fighting for a championship this year, it feels like a very different car to drive. We have had a very proactive day today so I am really happy with that. There is still a lot of learning that I have to do but the team have(sic) done a great job of preparing such a great run today, it’s been such an enjoyable atmosphere in the garage.
“I feel like the car suits my driving style and I haven’t struggled much at all to adapt, even on the long runs I have been able to run consistently today and was able to feel the limitations of the car which if you don’t have confidence in the car you are unable to test. I am happy more than ever at the moment and making sure that the team have the information that they require from each run is the most important thing to get out of today.”
Sergio Perez finds support from Max Verstappen after Abu Dhabi GP
Sergio Perez got support from Max Verstappen after the race in Abu Dhabi as his Red Bull teammate was asked about the Mexican's performances. The Dutch driver spoke highly of Perez and also felt that the media had been very harsh on him and his performances this season. Talking to Sportskeeda, he said,
“I have always worked well with Checo. He is a really great guy. It is rare that you have a teammate like him, who has always been very good to us and is just a nice guy. I work with him every weekend, week in, week out. I think people have been very hard on him."
He added,
"Of course, some weekends could have been better, but sometimes people have been very hard on him, because he is not an idiot. He has always been a great driver and it was difficult, but it was difficult for everyone in the team because sometimes it was just very difficult to drive [the car]. ”
Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull seems as good as over right now as multiple reports have suggested that the Mexican is possibly on his way out of the team and all that is left is a final agreement on the monetary compensation for his departure.