[sonick]

I think its a great strategic move for Red Bull, it opens up so many learnings and options.

Given DeVries' age, there is no benefit to giving him a longer leash, as savage as that is. They were probably hoping the experience in other cars/racing series would translate to F1 performance, but unfortunately not. Sucks for DeVries but it was the right move.

Danny's sim numbers give a good benchmark on his level vs Perez and Max.

Putting Danny against Yuki will provide a proxy measurement on how Yuki will perform vs Perez and Max.

Assuming Danny is comparable to Perez, if Danny shits the bed, it shows to RB that Yuki could most definitely outperform Perez.

If Danny is on level with Yuki, it still provides promise that Yuki could be a solid #2.

If Danny significantly outperforms Yuki, then it opens up a possible Danny-Max return.

Ultimately, I think it's also valuable for Yuki in his development now to have the learning and mentorship from Danny that he lost from Gasly, vs DeVries.