Is Yuki Tsunoda's seat really safe?

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  Yuki Tsunoda is now in his third full year of Formula 1. With the AlphaTauri driver looking like he has finally found some form after two years of him not showing that he has that much to offer, many fans are still speculating on whether or not Yuki will still be driving for AlphaTauri, or even Formula 1 as a whole for the 2024 season as there are many other Red Bull junior team members eyeing up the prized seat.


  Yuki's performance this year has been a step up from his first two years in the game. However, let's not forget we are still only 3 races into the year and in 2022, his performances in Bahrain and Imola made it seem as though Tsunoda would have the season of his life. Only for the remainder of the season to turn out as a forgettable and disappointing one. There are positives to take away from that season, though. With Tsunoda's performances being closer to his teammate Pierre Gasly, the latter of which has six years of Formula 1 experience under his belt, where Tsunoda's average race position of 13.06 would be marginally off Pierre's with 11.58. Despite this, Yuki would only finish the year with 12 points compared to Gasly's 23.

 There are many Red Bull juniors stepping up to prove themselves worthy of an F1 seat in 2023 however. Liam Lawson, who finished a mighty 3rd in the Formula 2 championship in 2022, only one ahead of now Formula 1 rookie Logan Sargeant, is now driving in Super Formula where he won his first ever race in Fuji. The first to do so since Pierre Gasly in 2017, who switched from Super Formula to F1 mid season to fill in for the underperforming Daniil Kvyat. So if Lawson can win the Super Formula championship and earn the super license points he needs, he could be a talking point for the AlphaTauri seat.

 Another Red Bull junior team member impressing this year is Ayumu Iwasa. The 21 year old Japanese drive for the DAMS Formula 2 team is now leading the drivers' standings after 3 rounds. After glimpses of brilliance in his rookie year of 2022 and if he does go on to win the championship, Formula 2 does not allow champions to go back in order to try and force the champions to be in Formula 1. So if Iwasa does win the championship, Helmut Marko may turn his one and only eye to Iwasa and get him to drive for the Italian outfit next season.



  How about Tsunoda's team-mate Nyck De Vries? He is also under threat of being replaced. At the age of 28 , the first 3 races have only been showing that the 2019 Formula 2 champion and 2021 Formula E World Champion is nowhere near Tsunoda. After earning his seat due to an impressive stand-in drive for Alex Albon at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, the first 3 rounds of not being anywhere near Tsunoda in qualifying or the race could raise a few eyebrows on whether or not he should go to the Alfa Romeo camp and ask Zhou Guanyu to teach him Chinese.

  
Therefore, if Tsunoda wants to stay in Formula 1 for a 4th year in F1, he has to keep what he is doing up and consistently throughout the whole year. With Red Bull's hierarchy proving that they do not show any mercy to underperforming drivers coupled with the fact that two young drivers are eyeing up two seats in that AlphaTauri team next season, Tsunoda may have to beat De Vries by a convincing amount along with points finishes throughout the year to show that he has alot to offer in Formula 1 for his future and secure another season with the team that he is very familiar with.
  
  

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