Going forward
At the time of writing this end-of-year report, RB’s full driver line-up for next season has not been announced to the world, with Tsunoda previously signing to race on at the Faenza squad into a fifth campaign, but nobody being named in the cockpit alongside him.
It comes as Red Bull review the bigger picture, given Sergio Perez’s tough run of form. Should the senior team opt for a change, Tsunoda and Lawson are both in the mix to slot alongside Max Verstappen, with F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar in turn linked to an RB debut.
READ MORE: Horner confirms Tsunoda and Lawson ‘would be the candidates’ to replace Perez for 2025
In any case, the target for RB moving forward will clearly be to get themselves on the right side of an increasingly tight midfield battle in 2025 and edge back to the highs of their AlphaTauri days – which included consistently strong points finishes and the occasional surprise podium.
“The perception of the season is probably going to be depending on the final [constructors’] result in Abu Dhabi,” Mekies, having taken on the Team Principal role from Franz Tost last winter, told me at the penultimate round in Qatar. “But what we are all very optimistic about is the steps forward the team has done through the season.
“We were able to build stronger foundations for the future and we have seen the team developing. The fight for P6 already has also forced us to be sharper, and to execute stronger, so it’s very exciting for the future.”
With experienced names such as Alan Permane (Racing Director) and Tim Goss (Chief Technical Officer Racing) joining the operation this year, Mekies signed off: “There have been a number of changes in the team, and a number of improvements, that I’m confident to say we have the right people, at the right place, to bring the team to the next place.”
