Tsunoda on Red Bull seat claim: 'What more could I do?'

Yuki Tsunoda doesn't know what else he should have done to claim a Red Bull seat as the team's summer decision looms over its driver line-ups.

Following a string of disappointing performances and results, Red Bull is considering whether or not to replace Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen's team-mate at its main team, with its other drivers Daniel Ricciardo, Tsunoda and Liam Lawson all staking a claim for the plum seat.

While reserve driver Lawson has just five grand prix starts to his name and would be a riskier choice, RB drivers Ricciardo and Tsunoda are more experienced options, albeit with their own pros and cons.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner's faith in Ricciardo as a short-term solution means he was moved back into the frame after a difficult start to 2024, while team-mate Tsunoda has been one of the standout performers of the season but doesn't appear to enjoy the same level of trust.

When asked how critical the final weekend before the summer break is to prove a point, Tsunoda feels he has already done enough to warrant promotion if Red Bull does opt to make a change.

"If you see the previous races, since race one, it's quite clear how much I've proven on track," Tsunoda said in Spa, before his back-of-the-grid penalty for an all-new engine was made public.

"With the amount of Q3 appearances, amount of points taken on each track, I think I've proved enough. Obviously, this race will be important as well.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

"At this point, I don't know [if] they [are] considering me. I've done what I should have done, and I'm happy with what I've done until today. What should I do more than that?

"It's quite clear also how many points I get compared to other drivers, so I'm happy with what I've done."

He added that he remains focused on his own performances rather than decisions beyond his control, although he admitted facing repeated media questions on the topic was not pleasant.

"I can't control those things, so I just focus now on the things I can control, which is performance," he said.

"Obviously, I would like to be in that seat, 100%, but also it's not like I am really feeling good about the rumours flying around and the extra pressure from these things.

"I never even got any conversations, or have any idea about that."

When asked by Autosport if he thinks performance is the only factor under consideration, the Japanese replied: "It seems like they are also other factors, obviously, because they consider other drivers as well.

"But if they only see the performance it's very clear that I'm the one performing well."