Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has claimed Honda offered Red Bull $10 million for Yu🅘ki 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澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Liam Lawson’s replacement, with 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澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen.

The 24-year-old has been overlooked multiple times despite out-performing 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Nyck de Vries, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Daniel Ricciardo and Lawson.

It’s now been claimed that Red Bull decided against signing Tsunoda at the end of 2024 even though Ho🐼nda were ready to pay Red Bull $10 millio𝓀n.

This claim comes after a꧅ New Zealand-based outlet suggeste💃d 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 forthcomin☂g. There’s a suggestion we will firm it up when we get up to Japan.

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

How will Tsunoda fare at Red Bull?

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

All of his predecessors, start🍒ing with Pierre Gasly in 2019, have struggled to rღegularly get close to Verstappen.

The main coℱncern for𒅌 Tsunoda will be Red Bull’s lack of performance.

R✱ed Bull have struggled for general pace since the middle of last year, with Verstappen winning just two of the last 16 races.

His most recent victory in Brazil was due to the treacherous conditions rath💮er than raw pace.

While Verstappen sits second in the F1 drivers’ championship after two rounds, McLaren have been 🔯a step ahea🌜d in 2025.

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