RB driver Yuki Tsunoda has expressed that he is seeking to ensure that he and Red Bull are both on the “same page” when it comes to his Formula 1 future post 2024.
Tsunoda has emerged as a standout driver this season with five points finishes in eight races seeing him outperform his more renowned team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.
However, those exploits have not been enough to earn Tsunoda a promotion to the parent Red Bull team as Sergio Perez has earned a new two-year contract renewal.
Although the Japanese driver has insisted he would welcome a fifth season with RB in 2025, he is striving to earn more assurances from Red Bull about his prospects.
“Obviously I’m already committed with Red Bull a lot and hopefully I can have a bit more commitment from them,” Tsunoda told Autosport.
“There’s an ongoing discussion and I want to make sure first of all we’re on the same page with Red Bull after that we’ll see. But I’m happy with RB.
“Even these two years [Perez] has to still perform and in this kind of environment, anything can happen. So, congratulations to him.
“For me, I just keep focusing on what I’m doing and just proving myself.
“I just have to grow more and, at the same time, hopefully, Red Bull will understand more or see more of my progress and my potential performance and maybe [it] can change in the future.”
Tsunoda has been open that he would consider approaches from rival teams and he has revealed that his strong showings are starting to open up options elsewhere.
The Honda-backed driver is believed to have held tentative talks with Haas over a move, while he’s also been linked with a potential switch to the Sauber/Audi venture.
“The good thing is that the other teams are starting to get interested in me,” he added. “I also got a couple of options from the others, which is growing.
“It’s a good thing that I’m able to grow my value as well, especially like this interesting drivers’ market.
“But first of all, my priority is Red Bull. I want to make sure we’re on the same page because Red Bull is part of my life so far and, without them, I wouldn’t achieve this much.”
