Yuki Tsunoda sends pointed Max Verstappen message to Red Bull chiefs with future uncertain
Yuki Tsunoda has spoken on his Red Bull future and Max Verstappen ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen sent offer to quit Red Bull and join F1 rival keen to be his team-mate
AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda has claimed that “it is too easy to say that he is too good” when asked about Max Verstappen’s dominance in Formula 1, admitting that he would like to drive in the same car. The Red Bull star is on the verge of sealing his third consecutive drivers’ championship and is the envy of the rest of the grid.
Tsunoda recently penned a new five-year contract with AlphaTauri to remain under the Red Bull umbrella, where Verstappen reigns supreme but the Japanese driver has refrained from gushing over the soon-to-be champion. Instead, Tsunoda has posed the question of how much difference the car makes.
“To be honest, I would like to drive the same car,” Tsunoda said when asked about Verstappen. "Of course that is a difficult challenge, but it is too easy to say that he is too good. However, we never race against each other and our cars are completely different. So I cannot say anything about differences in driving style.
"For me, his consistency really stands out. He is able to perform at his best in all conditions. Take the Grand Prix of the Netherlands: the conditions were constantly changing. At one moment the track was dry, at the next completely wet Max is then able to always drive and control the limit."
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive F1 news.
Tsunoda committing his future to the team has opened a door to potentially working alongside Verstappen in the future, as Sergio Perez’s future remains up in the air. Tsunoda has reiterated that he wants to drive for Red Bull at some point but his current focus is on AlphaTauri.
"I hope that Red Bull keeps an eye on me and at the same time also has my future in mind, but I don't know anything else about it,” he added. “I focus entirely on AlphaTauri. However, I would like to receive a little more attention if I optimize my performance. The ball is in my hands to show that I am good enough to take a seat in the Red Bull.”
Don't miss...
David Coulthard tears apart 'nonsense claims' involving Hamilton and Verstappen [REACTION]
George Russell's stance on demanding Max Verstappen apology after F1 bust-up [LATEST]
George Russell takes cheap shot at Max Verstappen by correcting F1 statement [SPOTTED]
Tsunoda also spoke about the rumours that he could leave the Red Bull umbrella for Aston Martin, as Japanese manufacturer Honda are also making that switch in 2026, but the 23-year-old has shot down any suggestion that Honda’s decision will have any bearing on his future in the sport.
"Sometimes I hear that I would only go to the team that Honda supplies engines to,” Tsunoda continued.
“The only thing Honda has said to me is that they don't care where I go as long as a Japanese driver is successful. They support me completely in that process."