Red Bull Faces Ongoing Challenges Despite Tsunoda’s Tenure
Yuki Tsunoda’s stint at Red Bull Racing has yielded limited results as he completes his first nine races following his promotion from the AlphaTauri team. Since taking over Liam Lawson’s seat, Tsunoda has managed to score only seven points, starkly contrasting with teammate Max Verstappen’s 119. His qualifying performances have also been underwhelming, starting from the back of the grid in recent races, including positions of 20th, 12th, 19th, 18th, and another 18th.
Despite the mounting pressure, Red Bull team management insists the issue is not solely with Tsunoda but rather structural within the team. Helmut Marko has emphasized that Tsunoda will remain in the seat for the remainder of the season. Tsunoda’s main task appears to be minimizing crashes, as repair costs under the current budget cap could severely impact the team’s development trajectory as the 2026 regulations approach.
After a disappointing Austrian Grand Prix where both Red Bull cars failed to score points, team principal Christian Horner highlighted the pattern of Tsunoda’s struggles, noting, "Yuki had a horrible race… his first run in Q1 was fine, but a mistake compounded his issues."
In recent commentary, Verstappen defended Tsunoda, asserting the car’s design may also be a factor. He stressed that Tsunoda is a capable driver and referred to issues stemming from the car’s performance, underscoring the challenge faced by anyone not named Verstappen.
The recent practice session for F2 driver Alex Dunne with McLaren further underlined these challenges. Dunne’s impressive fourth-place finish in FP1 sparked discussions about the contrasting drivability of the McLaren compared to the Red Bull. Marko noted, "When the McLaren has a small slide, the car almost corrects itself. With us, it’s always a tightrope walk," suggesting a fundamental design flaw in the Red Bull vehicle that affects driver performance.
The disparities between Red Bull and other cars were highlighted by Alexander Albon, who remarked on the forgiving nature of the RB design compared to McLaren’s. Drivers making the jump from the Red Bull junior team to the main squad face a steep learning curve, as evidenced by the struggles of Tsunoda, Lawson, and others.
As Red Bull assesses its future direction, the team must navigate its reliance on Verstappen’s prowess, while addressing the deeper issues at play within its vehicle dynamics, or risk further underperformance in the championship standings.
