Yuki Tsunoda continues to hold on to his Red Bull Formula 1 seat despite struggling to find the pace expected of him in 2025.
His miserable campaign has done his chances of remaining on the grid heading into the 2026 F1 regulations no favours, after being promoted to Red Bull. By now, it was expected that he would have at least achieved his first podium, but instead, he’s near the bottom of the drivers’ championship.
A positive Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw him make some progress, achieving his best Red Bull finish of sixth, but there’s still a lot more in the tank for Tsunoda. As Honda’s partnership with his current team draws to a close, the chances that he falls off the grid without a dramatic improvement in results are high.
Team boss Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko disagree on Tsunoda, with the former suggesting that he still has a chance for 2026. After years, it finally appears that Tsunoda has listened to what his first boss told him and is really starting to work hard. It’s a positive development in his approach.
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Guenther Steiner tells Red Bull to get Yuki Tsunoda ‘out’ of their car for 2026
Marko’s private reaction to Tsunoda’s result at Baku could end up being bad news for Liam Lawson, as he continues to fight for his future too. Just one of the four seats within the Red Bull stable is currently confirmed for 2026, with Max Verstappen set to remain where he is.
Although Isack Hadjar is under contract, there’s a strong chance that he switches teams for next year, and Guenther Steiner is already campaigning for that move to be made now, despite Tsunoda’s improvement in performance.
“I think Hadjar should go in the Red Bull,” he told the Red Flags Podcast. “Matt is leaving now, he’s had enough of me. Hello guys, they both left me because their preferred son, Yuki Tsunoda – I get him out of the car.
“You can come back, you two, don’t escape from reality. Do not escape reality. Two w——. You have to face reality. Before, you said, ‘Yeah, Carlos Sainz has one podium.’ Yuki Tsunoda had one sixth f—— place in a Red Bull, not in a Williams. What is this love affair with Yuki Tsunoda?”
“I like Yuki, I like him as a person, but in the end it’s about business.”
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How Yuki Tsunoda successfully avoided one dreaded fate at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
While Tsunoda’s sixth place in Baku was important for a multitude of reasons, including showing progress and it being his best result, it was also significant in another area.
By scoring at least one point, he has now avoided matching the lowest tally of points he has ever achieved in a season (12- 2022).
Although it’s unknown whether Hadjar will join Red Bull in 2026, the signs suggest that, without a disaster, he will be promoted.
The last question that remains is whether Red Bull can finally design a second car that is friendly to someone other than the reigning champion, otherwise, the same problems will continue to crop up.