Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has claimed Honda offered Red Bull $1ཧ0 million for Yuk🦂i Tsunoda to be Sergio Perez’s replacement.

Tsunoda will make his long-awaited debut for Red Bull at this weekend’s F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

He’s been drafted in as 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Liam Lawson’s repl🅰acement, w𒉰ith the Kiwi moving back to Racing Bulls after just two races.

Tsunoda spent over four years in Red Bull’s junior team before finally getting a chance to race alongside 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen.

The 24-year-old has been overlooked multiple times despite out-performing 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nyck de Vries, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Daniel Ricciardo and Lawson.

It’s now been claimed that Red Bull decided against signing Tsun🎃oda at the en♉d of 2024 even though Honda were ready to pay Red Bull $10 million.

This claim comes after a New Zealand-based 👍outlet suggested Honda paid Red Bull an eight-figure sum to ensure Tsunoda is part of one of their two F1 teams.

, Kravitz said: “So the story was when they were considering Perez’s replacement that there was 10 million US dollars on the table from Honda to put a Honda-supported driver with extra ‘activation’ in there to get a Japanese driver because it was worth it for Honda from a marketing point of view to get a Japanese driver - money well spent.

“They decided to go with Lawson so that money obviously wasn’t forthcoming. There’s a suggestion we will firm it 𓆉up when we get up to Japan🐠.

“Now they’ve said you know what we’re thinking of putting Yuki in, might that 10 million be available? And💟 to their♍ credit I think Honda have said ‘now you want it!’”

How will Tsunoda fare at Red Bull?

Tsunoda has the daunting task of going🐲 up against F1’s four-time world champion.

All of his predecessors, starting with Pierre Gasly in 2019, have struggled to regularly𒁃 get close to Verstappen.

The main 🐷concern for Tsunoda will be Red Bull’s lack of performance.

Red Bull have struggled for general pace s🧸ince th🔯e middle of last year, with Verstappen winning just two of the last 16 races.

His most recent victory in Braz🏅il𝔍 was due to the treacherous conditions rather than raw pace.

While Verstappen sits second in the F1 drivers’ championship after two rounds, McLaren have 💎been a step ahead in 2025.

Tsunoda has had no testing time ahead of his home race at 𝔍Suzuka, making♎ his first race with the team a huge challenge.