With Sergio Perez’s departure after a difficult year, Red Bull has decided to promote Liam Lawson from their sister team, Racing Bulls, to partner Max Verstappen for the 2025 season.

On the other hand, Yuki Tsunoda, who has spent four seasons with Racing Bulls (former AlphaTauri), was once again overlooked for the promotion.

Despite his strong performances, including outperforming teammates like Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo, and even Lawson himself, Tsunoda will remain at Racing Bulls for another year.

Regarding that, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner mentioned that 2025 could be Tsunoda’s last season with Racing Bulls. If Tsunoda doesn’t get a chance to move up to the main Red Bull team or find another role, his time with the team might come to an end. 

“We’re acutely aware that if we’re not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki – being, in all honesty, this year [2025] – does it make sense [to keep him]?

“You can’t have a driver in the support team for five years,” said Horner quoted by The Race. 

“You can’t always be the bridesmaid.

“You’ve either got to let them go at that point or look at something different.”