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Charles Leclerc set the fastest time during the testsbut his old teammate Carlos Sainz was not far behind on his first long run for Williams after a brief stay on track for a filming day on Monday.

Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon made their debuts for Sauber and Haas respectively, as did the German’s new teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto, fresh from winning the Formula 2 championship.

Kimi Antonelli recovered from illness to participate in the afternoon portion of the session, but one of the most interesting storylines on Tuesday was in the Red Bull garage.

Yuki Tsunoda got his first run in the RB20 – at Honda’s insistence – and was joined by RB hopeful Isack Hadjar.

Liam Lawson drove for RB while Ayumu Iwasa looked very quick in the second car as he took part in the young driver section of the test.

After witnessing Tsunoda finally get his chance in the senior team, Red Bull fans are now calling for the Japanese driver to be promoted before 2025, with Sergio Perez is under increasing pressure to save his seat.

Red Bull fans want Yuki Tsunoda to become Max Verstappen’s teammate next season

Tsunoda set the 17th fastest time of the day, with the team focusing on his long-term pace rather than trying to set the fastest qualifying times.

The team shared a message on Instagram after the test day that read: “A productive post-season test at Yas Marina with @yukitsunoda0511 and @isackhadjar at the wheel of the RB20.

“Yuki completed 127 laps in the morning session, while Isack completed 125 laps in the afternoon.”

There were many Red Bull fans in the comments and a selection of their answers can be seen below, calling on the team to promote Tsunoda in place of Perez if the Mexican loses his seat.

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One fan said: “Man imagine Mad Max + Yuki The Pocket Rocket. What a pair!”, while another agreed: “You better put Yuki in that chair”

Some Perez fans now think Tsunoda is the best alternative, with one admitting: “If Checo goes (I hope he doesn’t) Tsunoda would be the best option, even for Mexican Fandom”

“22 just goes well with that car…” said another response, looking at the newly installed number on his car.

Another fan replied: “Honestly, if Perez is replaced, I think Yuki deserves that seat”.

One fan even pointed to the work he had done at RB over the years and gave the team a suggestion in case a promotion didn’t work out, saying: “Yuki has paid his dues… He should join next season Red Bull have to play. If it doesn’t work, you can always switch.”

Some Red Bull fans want Yuki Tsunoda, but they could end up with Liam Lawson

Tsunoda has completed his time on the junior RB team, but it still looks like he will spend a fifth year with the team in 2025.

Liam Lawson is the most likely replacement for Perez although he has yet to sign a contract with either team for next year.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing, from engine to Ford links

Tsunoda’s test times were slower than Perez’s qualifying lapsbut context must be taken into account before suggesting he is a second slower than the Mexican driver.

He wouldn’t have pushed as hard as he would have liked, especially as he was within hundreds of Perez in an inferior RB car during qualifying on Saturday.

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