Red Bull’s Christian Horner has opened up on the driver change (Image: Getty)
has opened up about the decision to snub for the vacant seat following departure.
The Mexican was let go from his contract earlier this week, with .
It came as bad news to Tsunoda, who was also touted in the running as Perez’s successor, but the Japanese starlet was instead snubbed.
Explaining his decision, Horner stated: “It was very, very tight between the two of them. Yuki is a very fast driver. He’s got three or four seasons of experience now. He did a very good job in the tyre test for us in Abu Dhabi where the engineers were impressed with how he performed.
“With Liam, when you look and go into the analytics of his race, pace was slightly better in the races that he did. His qualifying pace was very tight with Yuki, and you’ve got to assume that the potential with Liam having only done 11 grand prix, is he’s only going to get better and stronger. He’s shown real mental resilience and toughness.”
He added: “A couple of things have stood out with me with Liam – how versatile he is, you put him into a situation, he gets on with it. If you remember his debut in Zandvoort after Daniel broke his fingers, he was racing against Max on his out lap.”
“He’s got that kind of gritty racer mentality. He did a year in the DTM where he adjusted to driving a GT car incredibly quickly alongside and generally had the upper hand.
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Yuki Tsunoda was in the running to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull (Image: Getty)
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“And again, his racecraft has been really one of his key strengths. So he’s not afraid to go wheel-to-wheel and even rub wheels where necessary. So I think he’s going to do a great job for us.”
“The engineers have enjoyed working with him through the running that he’s done this year. He’s got a good work ethic as well. It’s great to have Yuki still involved with the Racing Bull scene next year. And of course he’s on standby should he ever be required.”
A thorough assessment of the pair’s capabilities, but one that won’t offer much solace for Tsunoda, who had fancied his chances following an impressive test drive.
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Speaking after a post-season test event, the 24-year-old stated: “I heard a lot about how impressed they were, particularly with my feedback.
“This came not only from the trackside engineers but also from the engineers supporting remotely from ’s factory in Milton Keynes. They mentioned how impressed they were with my input.
“That area was a key target for me. I believe already understands that my speed isn’t much of an issue. Instead, what they’re more focused on is things like my feedback, my behaviour within the team, and how I conduct myself in the car. They probably saw those areas as the biggest unknowns.”