Red Bull’s latest driver choice raises eyebrows as Tsunoda gets promoted, leaving rising star Isack Hadjar waiting in the wings.
Red Bull Racing might have made another questionable call when it comes to choosing a teammate for Max Verstappen.
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes the team should have promoted young French talent Isack Hadjar instead of handing the seat to Yuki Tsunoda for the upcoming season.
Tsunoda, now entering his fifth year in Formula 1, finally gets his shot with Red Bull’s main team. While the Japanese driver brings more experience, Montoya thinks Red Bull missed an opportunity.
“I would have gone with Isack Hadjar,” Montoya said. “If it were up to me, I’d sign him for two years, no questions asked. That kind of commitment would give him the confidence to grow.”
The 19-year-old Hadjar has only two Grand Prix weekends under his belt, but Montoya believes in his potential. In contrast, the future looks uncertain for Tsunoda.
“What’s the plan with Yuki? A year? Two? No one really knows. Choosing him now feels like Red Bull is admitting last year’s decision was a mistake,” he added.
Tsunoda’s first race with Red Bull will be in front of his home crowd at Suzuka – a track he knows well and where expectations will be high. Montoya sees this as a make-or-break moment.
“Suzuka is a golden opportunity for Tsunoda. If he delivers even a decent performance – say, Verstappen qualifies fourth and Tsunoda ends up twelfth – that would already be better than what Liam [Lawson] or Checo [Pérez] have done in similar situations.”
“If he can get close to Max’s pace, even just a bit, his entire career could change. Red Bull would have no choice but to offer him a long-term deal.”
Whether Tsunoda rises to the occasion or not, the debate over whether Red Bull backed the right young driver is far from over.
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Tsunoda steps up – but is Hadjar the one they need? Tsunoda steps up – but is Hadjar the one they need?
