Driver snubbed by Red Bull told to ‘phone Aston Martin now’ for next F1 seat

Sergio Perez in the Red Bull.

Believing Daniel Ricciardo is the driver Max Verstappen would happily have as his Red Bull team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda needs to get on the phone to Aston Martin, says 1996 World Champion Damon Hill.

The second Red Bull seat has been a hot topic for discussion once more in F1 2024, with Sergio Perez suffering a fresh alarming slump in form which plunged his future with the team into doubt. However, Red Bull went against expectations and confirmed that Perez would keep his seat after the summer break.

Damon Hill tells Yuki Tsunoda: Get on the phone to Aston Martin!

Red Bull themselves began upping the pressure on the out-of-form Perez with McLaren eating through their Constructors’ Championship lead, which is now down to 42 points with 10 rounds of the season remaining.

And Hill pondered, during the F1 Nation podcast, whether reaching a point of realisation that they will lose the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren will be what triggers Red Bull to remove Perez.

He said: “Maybe they might bite the bullet and say, ‘We’re going to lose the Constructors’ Championship. What’s that worth to us in millions of dollars? And if we front up some millions of dollars for Checo to go somewhere else, then it’s worth it in the long run.’”

F1 Nation podcast host Tom Clarkson went on to claim that eight-time race winner Daniel Ricciardo at junior team VCARB is the “easiest sell” if Red Bull opted to replace Perez, though drew attention to Ricciardo’s team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who despite impressing in F1 2024, has never been a serious contender to step up to Red Bull.

That is even though Tsunoda himself feels ready to race alongside Verstappen in the main team, having been part of the junior squad since 2021.

“I wonder if you’ve hit the nail on the head there Damon, where the moment they lose the lead in the Constructors’ Championship, they’re only 42 points clear of McLaren as we speak, maybe that will be the catalyst for movement?” Clarkson wondered.

“And I feel that Daniel Ricciardo is getting better, ever since he had that great weekend in Canada. Okay, Silverstone wasn’t so good, but what we’re actually seeing is a more consistent Daniel Ricciardo.

“He’s got the profile, he’s got the victories. If they’re going to make a change with Perez, whether it’s at some point between now and the end of the year or for 2025, Ricciardo is the easiest sell if you’d like both internally and externally as to why you’re bringing him back to the team.

“And then that would of course allow Liam Lawson, their reserve driver, to step in alongside Yuki.

“But Damon, it does raise this question. What has Yuki Tsunoda got to do to get the credibility that he thinks he deserves? He’s been consistent this year. He’s been quick. And yet, he’s never been part of the conversation.”

Key decisions loom on Red Bull talents

Significant Liam Lawson update issued by Helmut Marko with announcement on way

Ranked: The best and worst value for money drivers on F1 grid

Hill believes Tsunoda should be making a call to Aston Martin to secure his Formula 1 future, with the team set to take over use of the Honda power unit from Red Bull under the new F1 2026 regulations.

Tsunoda has been a Honda-backed driver since 2016.

“If I was him, I would be on the phone to Aston Martin now,” Hill advised Tsunoda, “because he’s Japanese and they’ve got Honda engines coming.”

And Hill believes that should Red Bull opt to replace Perez, Verstappen will want a Ricciardo reunion, making reference to a social media video which featured Verstappen and Ricciardo leaving the Spa-Francorchamps circuit together via helicopter.

In reference to Tsunoda, Hill continued: “I mean, he’s right in saying that, ‘I can’t understand. It doesn’t make any sense.’

“But when you see pictures of Max leaving the circuit in a helicopter with Daniel Ricciardo and they’re all smiles, you kind of get the feeling that Max would be quite happy with Danny Ric as a team-mate.

“And so, if his power is such in that team that he can almost influence that decision, then I do think the pressure is on to get Danny in there.”

Verstappen and Ricciardo were Red Bull team-mates between 2016-18, before Ricciardo left to join Renault.

Read next: Daniel Ricciardo receives crushing blow from Red Bull over return chances