Yuki Tsunoda finds himself under growing scrutiny amid his string of underwhelming results since joining the Red Bull team. The Japanese driver qualified plum last for the Spanish Grand Prix, which has prompted team principal Christian Horner to provide a subtle update about his future.
The 25-year-old, who was drafted in to replace an underperforming Liam Lawson after just two races into the 2025 season, has recorded a barrage of underwhelming results, including three non-point-scoring finishes in his six races with the team so far — which has fueled conversations about what could become of his future.
In stark contrast, Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, has seen rookie driver Isack Hadjar emerge as one of the most impressive drivers of the 2025 season. This disparity in fortune between the two drivers prompted Christian Horner to be asked the question of what could become of Yuki Tsunoda’s future with the team. Responding to the question, as detailed in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Formula Racers, the Red Bull Racing chief stated:
“Yuki has the toughest job in F1 — being Max’s teammate. Yuki is doing well so far, regularly scoring points. But if he wants to be considered for next year, he’ll have to continue to improve.”
Making an improvement will be high on Yuki Tsunoda’s list of priorities, as he could face the possibility of being removed from the second Red Bull seat — as was previously done with Lawson, Sergio Perez, and several drivers that preceded them. The 2018 Japanese F4 champion will now shift his focus to turning his fortunes around at the Spanish Grand Prix, following his last-place qualification.
How Yuki Tsunoda reacted following his Spanish Grand Prix qualifying
Yuki Tsunoda spoke to the media to share his thoughts following a frustrating Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session. The 25-year-old qualified dead last after failing to improve his lap times throughout the session.
The Japanese driver had been noticeably off the pace compared to teammate Max Verstappen throughout the weekend, and this disparity was evident during qualifying, despite using more sets of tires. Reflecting on the session, Tsunoda admitted there wasn’t much he could have done to improve his lap times.
Sharing his thoughts via the official Formula 1 website, he stated:
“It’s a shame. Honestly, the lap itself was okay. There’s not much where I made a mistake or whatever in both laps. Even if we had put on three sets of tires, I don’t think I would have been able to… With that pace, it’s going to be tough.”
Speaking further about the car’s performance during long runs ahead of the Grand Prix, he continued:
“The thing is, it also applies to the long-run pace as well,” he explained. “In FP2, the long-run pace was really bad.
“It just isn’t a good feeling. So far, what I feel is the car is eating its tires a lot, and every lap, whatever I do, I experience degradation. But anyway, hopefully the set-up change made a step forward. I’m hoping it will be better, but realistically, I’m a little bit less hopeful.”
Yuki Tsunoda’s best result with the Red Bull team remains the ninth-place finish he achieved at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Based on his recent performances, the Japanese driver could be in for another difficult outing around the Barcelona circuit.
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Edited by Tushar Bahl
