Who slept worst last night: Yuki Tsunoda

Things are starting to look tight for Yuki Tsunoda. Much as we all like the affable Japanese Formula 1 driver, the numbers don’t lie: since stepping up from Red Bull’s B team to the main one, he has managed just nine points, while Max Verstappen has collected 194 in the same period, including three Grand Prix victories. Not even all the Campari in Milan can wash that down.

You can’t help but feel a little sorry for Yuki. Since his F1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021 he has become something of a global cult figure among fans. Even Hollywood actress Kristen Bell recently posted a photo of herself on Instagram wearing a Tsunoda T-shirt.

And it’s easy to see why. The mix of a cute outward appearance, sometimes a little awkward because of his language struggles, paired with the foul-mouthed killer in the cockpit who swears like a trooper whenever things don’t go his way – it’s a unique combination.

Not to mention: on his day, Tsunoda is a very quick grand prix driver.

Take 2024, for instance: first he sent Daniel Ricciardo, once billed as Verstappen’s challenger, into retirement. Then he beat Liam Lawson in their head-to-head with eight points to four.

The reason he wasn’t promoted to Red Bull at the start of 2025, with Lawson getting the nod instead, was mainly because former team boss Christian Horner never rated him as highly as Helmut Marko did. Off the record, Horner would openly tell anyone who asked what he did and didn’t see in Tsunoda.

So Lawson got his chance first – but when he cracked under the pressure at the sharp end of the grid and was sent back down to Racing Bulls, it was time to let Tsunoda see how well he could breathe in thinner air.

Marko has always believed in the 25-year-old. When I visited him in his Graz office in the summer of 2020 and dutifully asked, as a journalist from a German platform, about Mick Schumacher’s chances, the Austrian grew irritated: why, he asked, was everyone obsessed with Schumacher when no one seemed to have the foresight to realise that Tsunoda was actually far more talented?

Race Winner Yuki Tsunoda, Carlin celebrates in Parc Ferme

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

At the end of that Formula 2 season, Schumacher was champion and Tsunoda third, but Tsunoda had jumped straight from Formula 3 and the Toyota Racing Series – which made his rookie season result all the more impressive.

At AlphaTauri it was a mix of highs and lows. Tsunoda became just as well-known for his radio meltdowns as for his likeable traits – like in 2023, when Imola was flooded. Instead of flying home in business class after the race was cancelled, Tsunoda pulled on his wellies and helped the people of Faenza save their hometown.

Faenza became Tsunoda’s adopted home because Franz Tost had sent him there. He was a talented junior, but his English was dreadful and his diet questionable. In press conferences and interviews, he would light up whenever the topic turned to pasta or pizza. Fitness training, some quipped, wasn’t exactly his strong suit.

So Tost took him in almost like a foster son, dragged him out for morning jogs, and arranged for the wife of an English-speaking AlphaTauri manager to give him language lessons. Tsunoda struck up a friendship with his team-mate Pierre Gasly, who made sure the Japanese driver didn’t lock himself away at home gaming and eating pizza, but instead became more sociable.

Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Tsunoda has come a long way since those early days in F1. And yet, many still don’t quite take him as seriously as he deserves – except for one man: his new team principal, Laurent Mekies.

When Mekies arrived at Red Bull, it must have felt like the sun breaking through the clouds for Tsunoda. Horner had shown little concern for his wellbeing, saving the newest parts for Verstappen rather than bolting them onto the second car. Mekies put an end to that. One of his first acts was to finally give Tsunoda the improved floor that had been sitting around in Milton Keynes anyway.

It’s the small things that make the difference. Every time Tsunoda returns to the pits after a strong run, Mekies greets him with a friendly smile from the pitwall. And whenever the inevitable question arises – could Isack Hadjar be promoted to Red Bull as soon as 2025? – Mekies brushes it off, saying there’s no reason to even discuss the 2026 driver line-up yet.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls Team Principal

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

But here’s the catch: the fact that Red Bull has suddenly found a more human touch in dealing with its second driver also means Tsunoda is running out of excuses if his results don’t improve soon.

Alexander Albon once described the Red Bull as a car as twitchy as a computer mouse set to maximum sensitivity. The VCARB may not be quicker, but it is almost certainly easier to drive. And Tsunoda still hasn’t quite managed to move the cursor to exactly where he wants to double-click, metaphorically speaking.

He needs to figure that out quickly. Because if he can’t deliver enough to stay at Red Bull, his Formula 1 career could be over sooner than he would like.

Tsunoda came into Formula 1 with Honda’s backing. But in 2026 the Japanese manufacturer will supply only Aston Martin as a works team – and both seats there are already taken, by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the owner’s son.

The road back to Faenza and the Racing Bulls may also be blocked. 2026 would be Tsunoda’s sixth season – not exactly fitting the remit of a junior team. And Red Bull has probably seen enough of him by now, while Marko still has plenty of other juniors waiting for their chance.

If Tsunoda has to go, Hadjar will most likely inherit his place. Probably too early, after just one year, but with the upcoming rules reset, the timing could make sense. And Hadjar is not an overthinker – he’s a doer, someone who gets in the car and delivers without worrying too much. Exactly the mentality a Verstappen team-mate needs.

At Racing Bulls, Josep Maria Marti or Arvid Lindblad could be promoted, maybe one of them alongside Lawson as a more experienced reference point.

Race winner Arvid Lindblad, Campos Racing

Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Elsewhere the doors are closed: McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are already set for 2026. The idea of Toto Wolff dumping Kimi Antonelli at the last minute for Tsunoda is unthinkable. Williams has locked Albon and Sainz in – so has Aston Martin with Alonso and Stroll, unless the latter suddenly decides to pursue tennis coaching instead.

Audi and Haas have no vacancy either, and Alpine, after re-signing Pierre Gasly, has only one slot left. But would Flavio Briatore really go looking for Tsunoda? Highly unlikely.

It could get very tight for little Yuki. Which is a pity, really. Because both as a racer and as a person, Tsunoda is a genuine asset to Formula 1.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images