Yuki Tsunoda is Red Bull Racing's new official reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

He will be ready to participate with Red Bull if needed, despite not securing the main team seat.

## What happened?

Red Bull opted for Liam Lawson to join Max Verstappen on the team, leaving Tsunoda with the reserve role.

Tsunoda has shown growth by surpassing teammates like Daniel Ricciardo and Nyck de Vries.

In the 2024 season, he scored 30 of VCARB's 46 points.

## Why it matters for Yuki Tsunoda

This progress in his career has led to his maintained presence within the Red Bull organization.

Team principal Christian Horner acknowledged Tsunoda's speed and experience but hinted at some perceived limitations.

Horner stated that a driver cannot be in the support team for five years, implying a need for change.

## What comes next?

For the 2025 season, if either Verstappen or Lawson encounters a race ban or injury, Tsunoda will step in as a temporary racer for Red Bull.

Verstappen currently holds eight penalty points, four short of a possible race ban, due to various incidents in 2024.

By June, after the Austrian Grand Prix, some of these points will be removed, reducing the risk of a ban.

Tsunoda will stay with the junior team, VCARB, for a fifth season, continuing to improve his skills.

The 2025 Formula One Season Schedule includes pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 26-28.

The first Grand Prix will be in Australia from March 14-16, followed by events in China, Japan, and Bahrain.

Tsunoda's reserve role is particularly critical given Verstappen's current penalty points.

He will be prepared to take on the challenge if called upon to drive for Red Bull.

The Japanese driver's performance has been consistently improving since he entered the Formula 1 arena in 2021.

With his new role, Tsunoda is one step closer to achieving his goal of becoming a top Formula 1 driver.

Red Bull's decision to keep Tsunoda as a reserve driver demonstrates their confidence in his abilities.

As the 2025 season progresses, Tsunoda will be ready to seize any opportunity that comes his way.

The upcoming season promises to be exciting, with Tsunoda playing a key role in Red Bull's success.