Visa Cash App RB confirms Tsunoda for 2025 F1 season

©RB

40

Visa Cash App RB has announced that they have exercised their option to extend Yuki Tsunoda's contract for the 2025 F1 season.

The 24-year-old Japanese driver is competing in his fourth season among motorsport’s elite, having started his F1 career with the Faenza-based squad in 2021.

While his previous campaigns were marked by a lack of consistency, Tsunoda has progressively gained in maturity and experience which has helped him take his skills to the next level.

So far this season, Tsunoda has scored points in five Grands Prix and in the Miami Sprint, a tally that surpasses the results of his RB teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

“I’m very happy to be staying with Visa Cash App RB and it’s a good feeling to have my future decided so early in the year,” commented Tsunoda.

“For that, I want to thank everyone at Red Bull and Honda who have played such an important role in my career and will continue to do so.

“The team has a big development project ahead and I’m excited to be part of it. It’s great to know that everyone appreciates all the hard work I have put in and that the team believes I can help it move further up the grid.

Read also: Tsunoda wants ‘more commitment’ from Red Bull after 2025 snub

“We have already made clear progress this season and that really motivates me to always give of my best and that’s what I’ll continue to do with VCARB.

“For the moment, I’m concentrating on the remaining races this season, with the aim of bringing home as many points as possible, always growing with the team, laying the groundwork to do even better next year!”

Visa Cash App RB team principal Laurent Mekies says that Tsunoda’s progress this season has been nothing short of “phenomenal”.

©RB

“I watched Yuki’s progress in Formula 1 with interest even before I returned to Faenza and it’s been impressive, year after year” commented RB team principal Laurent Mekies.

“The step up he has made this year is simply phenomenal, and he keeps surprising us all, race after race.

“There’s no doubting his natural speed to which he has now added a much more mature approach and this combination makes him a very quick and consistent performer, and a great team player.

“We continue to get a better understanding of what he needs from us and vice versa, so we are progressing together, Yuki as a driver and the team, as Visa Cash App RB. We share the same ambitions, so there are several good reasons to continue our journey together. He still has a lot to give!”

The sister Red Bull outfit has yet to make a call on its second seat, with incumbent Daniel Ricciardo in the mix to remain with the team while Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson also ambitioning to inherit a full-time seat in F1 for 2025.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.