Yuki Tsunoda ready to fight ‘monster’ Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda has finally received a promotion to Red Bull Racing. The Japanese driver had waited to race for Milton Keynes since joining the grid in 2021. The 24-year-old will replace Liam Lawson who will go back to Racing Bulls for the remainder of the season. Now, Tsunoda has asserted that he is ready to take up the challenge against Max Verstappen.

Verstappen has completely annihilated his teammates at Red Bull since 2019. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, and now Liam Lawson, all failed to even come close to the reigning world champion. Now, it is time for Yuki Tsunoda to try his luck and hope that he can at least be at a respectable distance to the Dutch driver.

Tsunoda is in high spirits ahead of his Red Bull debut at his home race in Japan. So much so, that the 24-year-old claimed that he was ready to fight ‘monster’ Max Verstappen, highlighting that the Dutch driver was simply a beast when he drove the car. Though, Yuki Tsunoda applauded Verstappen for consistently pushing himself to the limit in Formula 1.

Moreover, the 24-year-old asserted that he has what it takes to race hard against the reigning world champion. Yuki Tsunoda even claimed that he would not make life easy for Max Verstappen. Verstappen has been the sole Red Bull consistently at the front of the grid for many years now.

Yuki Tsunoda admits not easy to defeat Max Verstappen for F1 title

Max Verstappen has dominated Formula 1 in the ground-effect era. The 27-year-old has won four consecutive world titles, even ending the reign of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. Last season, Verstappen did not have the fastest car throughout the year, yet he managed to defend the championship against McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Nevertheless, Yuki Tsunoda has faith in his capabilities. The Japanese driver acknowledged that Verstappen is extremely quick and consistent. The 24-year-old admitted that it might not be possible for him to defeat the reigning world champion for the title at least during their first season as teammates at Milton Keynes.

It is clear that Tsunoda will leave no stone unturned when it comes to trying to match Max Verstappen from the Japanese GP. The 24-year-old understands that this is his best shot at securing his long-term future in the sport.

Yuki Tsunoda in do or die situation

Tsunoda was snubbed by Red Bull Racing in favor of Liam Lawson for the second seat at Milton Keynes. The Japanese driver’s career was at risk beyond 2025 as it appeared that Racing Bulls would have no reason to retain him. However, the shock promotion has given the 24-year-old’s career a much-needed lifeline.

Red Bull understands that Yuki Tsunoda might be its best bet for the time being when it comes to an ideal Verstappen teammate. Moreover, Honda is reportedly paying upwards of $10 million for this switch, a substantial figure for any team. This could be the reason for picking the Japanese GP as his debut race.

However, if Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull stint turns out to be a disaster, he can expect little to no support from the Austrian team. Red Bull has planned to support Lawson at Racing Bulls, but Tsunoda, who remains a Honda driver will unlikely get long-term backing as the Japanese carmaker moves to Aston Martin this year. As such, if the 24-year-old does not solidify his place at Milton Keynes, he will be left on his own for the future.

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