Tsunoda says Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner told him to prepare in case of promotion before he was confirmed to exchange seats with Liam Lawson.
Red Bull chose to replace Lawson after just two races in the 2025 season. New Zealanders have not been able to get out of the first quarter in either case and have no trouble with points. Tsunoda nodded last week to step up, saying Horner told him the possibility before confirming the decision.
“To be honest, I can’t give you specific details,” Tsunoda said. “The first thing I went to was from Christian Horner after China and things could change a bit, saying that maybe I might prepare, about Monday or Tuesday.
“I was in the UK to prepare Suzuka. It was already planned. I had a Red Bull race and a simulator session. At that point, within a few days in the UK, he confirmed it in person. That was like a timeline.
Tsunoda said Horner wanted him to maintain his chances of being promoted to himself, but he received a message from the former Red Bull driver after the news became official.
“He wanted me to be a very secret, so literally I didn’t call anyone… I really didn’t say anything, even my parents,” he said. “In fact, I told them the day before the news came out.
“I got a message from Pierre that he wanted to call me about his experience with Red Bull and what he had to do in Red Bull, and he wanted to share some ideas that he thought could work in the coming race at Red Bull.
“I was also supported by Checo. All the drivers from the Red Bull family gave me a supportive message. These two have been very supportive of me. I am truly grateful. They are the drivers I respect very much.
On Thursday, Tsunoda revealed he had not yet spoken to Helmut Marco about his movements, and later realized he had missed a call from the Red Bull Advisor. Meanwhile, Horner gave clear instructions to the Japanese driver about what is expected of him.
“Essentially, we’re as close to the max as possible. This will give us good results for the team anyway. They can also support other strategies in the race,” Tsunoda said. “They clearly state that their main priority is Max. He is a four-time world champion and so far he has been working well in difficult situations, so far they already understand it in the last few races.
“I also support my feedback with my feedback. They were very pleased with my feedback in Abu Dhabi so please keep doing that. But the main priority is close to Max. It’s certainly not easy.”
Given that Red Bull’s first race was his home grand prize at Suzuka, Tsunoda said it would be the perfect scenario to get the chance to compete near the front during the Honda Partnership last year.
“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s not crazy as this situation,” he said. “My first race at the Red Bull race, and on top of that, my home Grand Prix. I think this is the best situation. I’m just excited. The simulator went well. I spent a few days in Tokyo.