Racing Bulls fight results in clear winner being chosen

Another year, another name change for the sister Red Bull team. Out goes the RB moniker, and in arrives the Racing Bulls label.

Keeping in theme with change, a driver line-up has also occurred at the team with rookie Isack Hadjar promoted to the squad alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

It continues the programme in place at Red Bull to bring in a figure it has supported for several years to prove himself in front of the world.

Similarly, Tsunoda will have a point to prove to his team as he was overlooked for a Red Bull drive for 2025. The Milton Keynes-based outfit opted to sign Liam Lawson to partner Max Verstappen, despite the New Zealander's inexperience.

Despite a slight line-up reset, Racing Bulls enter the new season looking to improve on its eighth-place result from 2024.

As part of a series, RacingNews365 asked readers which driver they believed would come out on top from each of the 10 partnerships on the grid in 2025.

An overwhelming 84 per cent of the respondents backed the experience of Tsunoda to get the better of Hadjar throughout the season.

Analysis

Tsunoda will be the clear team leader during the upcoming campaign and both the Racing Bulls team and Hadjar can benefit from his experience.

It's no surprise, therefore, that Tsunoda has been backed to score more points during the season when partnered with a driver who will likely spend the year coming to grips with the F1 environment.

It has been pointed out on many occasions that Hadjar possesses the same fiery spirit that Tsunoda had when he arrived in F1, but it was a trait that was criticised by Red Bull when it spilled over to consistent expletive radio messages.

But while Tsunoda leads and pushes the team when it comes to feedback, there will be no avoiding the elephant in the room.

Tsunoda will be left hurt by Red Bull's latest call to not offer him a promotion to the senior squad when a vacancy arose at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Instead, the Japanese driver will contend a fifth season for the junior squad and this year will set a new record for the most races entered at the Faenza-based outfit.

The Racing Bulls team is not set up to prolong F1 careers at the team, but rather to create talent for the senior squad.

The general consensus is that Tsunoda is already facing the exit door at Racing Bulls at the end of the season, as a sixth year at the sister team is simply unheard of.

So even if the 24-year-old delivers and impresses with his performances throughout the year, it will not matter if the writing is on the wall.

Verdict: Yuki Tsunoda