AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost has told Red Bull that Yuki Tsunoda will be ready to step into the shoes of Sergio Perez in just two years’ time.
The Mexican has enjoyed a solid start to the 2023 F1 season. He sits second in the drivers’ standings after winning in Jeddah, whilst he also enjoyed a podium finish in Bahrain.
Teammate Max Verstappen currently leads the standings by 15 points after Perez’s fifth-placed finish during the Australian Grand Prix. Despite that, there is doubt over the latter’s long-term future with his contract only running until 2024 by which time he will be 35.
Whilst there is still time to renew terms, AlphaTauri boss Tost believes that 22-year-old Japanese driver Tsunoda could be ready to represent the team in just two seasons’ time. As quoted by GPFans.com, the 67-year-old said: “All I can say is that Yuki is on the right track.
“He has improved in every respect. But I think he should drive at Alpha Tauri again in 2024. In 2025, I think he will finally be ready for Red Bull.”
Tsunoda has been representing AlphaTauri since the 2021 campaign. He finished 14th during his debut season, whilst he backed that up with a 17th-placed finish last term.
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He currently sits 16th this season after collecting one point from the opening three races. Back-to-back 11th placed finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were followed by a 10th-placed finish in Australia.
The Japanese will be aiming to improve on that during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the end of April. Tsunoda is only under contract with AlphaTauri until the end of the current campaign having agreed fresh terms last September.
Speaking at the time, he said: “I want to say a huge thank you to Red Bull, Honda and Scuderia AlphaTauri for continuing to give me the opportunity to drive in F1. Having moved to Italy last year, to be closer to the factory, I really feel part of the team and am glad that I get to carry on racing with them in 2023."
Despite being talked up to claim a place at Red Bull in the near future, action has already been taken to ensure he toes the line should he move. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, they have hired a psychologist to ensure he does not get as emotional on the track.
Speaking last year, he said: "We have organised a kind of psychologist to work with him, because he continued to rant in the corners, so that inhibits performance. We should keep our emotions in check.
“Thank god Max [Verstappen] is calm. Our problem child in this respect, not only in this respect, is Tsunoda. He explodes on the radio, you wouldn't believe it."
