Zak Brown questions Red Bull’s “strange driver choices” as Yuki Tsunoda shines

Zak Brown took a swipe at Red Bull for their “strange driver choices” after Yuki Tsunoda impressed at the F1 Australian Grand Prix.

Tsunoda starred in qualifying, securing fifth place on the grid for Racing Bulls, ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

The Japanese driver ran well in the race, overtaking Leclerc as the track began to become more slippery.

However, like Ferrari, Racing Bulls’ strategy was wrong, because they stayed out too long on dry tyres in intermediate conditions.

Tsunoda would finish the race in 12th, making it a big opportunity missed for VCARB when some of their midfield rivals scored big points.

Tsunoda’s impressive weekend was in stark contrast to Liam Lawson’s, who was knocked out in Q1 before retiring from the Australian GP.

Red Bull opted for Lawson over Tsunoda as their replacement for Sergio Perez.

This was despite Tsunoda having considerably more experience and generally outperforming Lawson.

Speaking to Sky Sports after qualifying in Melbourne on Saturday, Brown couldn’t resist taking aim at Red Bull.

“I think it’s going to be a very exciting year,” Brown said.

“Yuki did a great job, probably the guy that should be in the Red Bull if you look at how he’s performed, but they seem to make some strange driver choices.”

Is Brown right about Red Bull’s driver choices? 

Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018, Red Bull have struggled to find an adequate replacement to put alongside Max Verstappen.

Pierre Gasly was Ricciardo’s replacement in 2019 but was replaced mid-way through the season due to poor form.

Alex Albon was then given a chance after just 12 races in F1.

While the Thai driver was initially an upgrade on Gasly, 2020 was a year to forget as he failed to out-qualify Verstappen at any of the races.

With Red Bull reluctant to give Gasly another chance, Red Bull turned to Perez, who had just enjoyed a strong season at Racing Point.

Perez’s arrival coincided with Red Bull becoming a title-winning force.

The Mexican played a crucial role in Verstappen’s title win against Hamilton in 2021.

2022 proved to be his strongest year with the team, even though he missed out on P2 in the championship to Leclerc.

However, by 2023, Perez’s performances became more erratic as he underperformed in arguably the most dominant car in F1 history.

Perez’s future remained a hot topic throughout 2024, with Ricciardo nearly making a sensational return ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Red Bull could have replaced Perez with Carlos Sainz for 2025 - but decided against it, ultimately choosing Lawson.

Lawson failed to out-qualify Tsunoda in their seven races together as teammates in 2024, although the gap between them was minimal.

With Sainz on the market for 2025 and Tsunoda simply being more experienced, Brown might have a point.