Asked in the closing stages of the season if Tsunoda was impressing him as much as he did at the start, Mekies commented: “Of course he is. If you look at the drivers’ performance, it very much followed the team’s performance through the year.
“We had a slow start, and a fantastic string of races, and a more difficult time when we hit some issues with our development. Finally, we managed to put the car back in the right window for this final part of the season, and the drivers’ results have been following that.
END OF YEAR REPORT: RB – A new identity, another mid-season driver change and flashes of potential
“But when I see Yuki again performing at that level like he did in the last few races, it was all together an outstanding season from his side. I think he has made a step this season that nobody could forecast and it’s something he should be proud of.”
Tsunoda made his Red Bull test debut at last week’s post-season gathering in Abu Dhabi, but the squad have since confirmed that it is recent RB team mate Liam Lawson who will step up to replace Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s partner next year while F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar will be promoted alongside Tsunoda in 2025.
