Yuki Tsunoda should get “on the phone to Aston Martin” in case Red Bull’s parent team continues to overlook him, according to 1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill.
Tsunoda has delivered an impressive season with Red Bull’s sister team, RB, to accrue 10 more points (22-12) than his more experienced team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.
But while Sergio Perez’s struggles at Red Bull created question marks over his position, Tsunoda was never considered a leading contender had a change been made.
Instead, Ricciardo was touted as the likeliest replacement had Red Bull dropped the Mexican mid-season, while Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson was also in contention.
Tsunoda has been outspoken on Red Bull continuing to be unenamoured with granting him a chance with the reigning champions, arguing “other factors” are involved.
Hill believes Tsunoda should be angling to utilise his relationship with Honda and the Japanese marque’s impending tie-up with Aston Martin in 2026 to make a move.
“If I was him I’d be on the phone to Aston Martin because he’s Japanese and they’ve got Honda coming,” Hill told the F1 Nation podcast.
Perez’s disastrous plight through the pack to eighth place on the road in Belgium and Ricciardo’s recent upward momentum appeared to make a swap look inevitable.
However, Red Bull has elected to retain Perez past the summer break, with team-mate Max Verstappen citing that the squad’s main concern is making its car quicker.
Nevertheless, Hill suspects that the Dutchman, who holds a 78-point championship advantage, would be happier to rekindle his partnership at Red Bull with Ricciardo.
“He’s right in saying that I can’t understand it and it doesn’t make any sense,” he added.
“When you see pictures of Max leaving the circuit in a helicopter with Daniel Ricciardo, and there’s all smiles.
“You get the feeling of Danny Ric and Max. Max would be quite happy with Danny Ric as a team-mate.
“If his power is such in that team he can almost influence that decision then I do think the pressure is on to get Danny in there.
“They’ve given him a second lease of life by encouraging him. His performances have been getting stronger. There’s no question about it.”
