Tsunoda has been “phenomenal”, claims Laurent Mekies

Visa Cash RB team boss Laurent Mekies described the Italian outfit’s Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda’s progression in the early stages of the 2024 season as “phenomenal.”

Visa Cash RB's Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has delivered an impressive performance so far in 2024. The Sagamihara-born driver, who made his F1 debut with the Faenza-based outfit at the start of the 2021 season, has scored points in seven of the 14 races that have taken place so far this year.

Tsunoda has impressed the Italian team with his performances which helped him secure a contract extension. The extended contract which was announced at the Canadian Grand Prix will see him race for the Faenza-headquartered squad until at least the end of 2025.

Visa Cash RB team boss Laurent Mekies described Tsunoda’s progression early in the 2024 season as “phenomenal.”

“I think the step that Yuki had been showing in the first few races [of 2024], to the point where we made that call, was phenomenal. That's my personal evaluation of it, it was phenomenal."

"Yes we have seen drivers evolving, rarely from year three to year four of that magnitude, so I think he has been delivering incredibly fast and consistent weekends... [on] different tracks, different conditions."

With Sergio Perez’s future under scrutiny at the Red Bull outfit, Mekies is aware that Tsunoda's eyes are firmly set at the second seat alongside reigning champion Max Verstappen.

"He has been making important steps inside and outside the car, and at the end of the day, of course we can wait - we have the driver options on our three guys.

"But I think at that stage it was only fair to recognise the huge steps that he had made and to simply confirm that we want - Yuki's ambitious, we are ambitious and he is key to our project for the future and we feel that we offer him the right platform to do another step."