Yuki Tsunoda has reflected on his challenging 2025 Formula 1 season with Red Bull, admitting he still does not fully comprehend the issues that led to his struggles. The Japanese driver was promoted to Red Bull from Racing Bulls after the second race of the 2025 campaign, replacing Liam Lawson.
Tsunoda found it difficult to adapt to the Red Bull RB21 car throughout the season, a situation that significantly impacted his confidence. He stated that even after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he did not understand the car’s characteristics.
During his tenure with Red Bull in 2025, Tsunoda scored 33 points across 22 Grands Prix. This placed him 17th in the Drivers’ Championship. His teammate, Max Verstappen, secured eight Grand Prix victories and finished second in the championship with 421 points.
Tsunoda did not achieve a podium finish during his time with the senior Red Bull team. He considered adopting Verstappen’s driving style to improve his performance.
However, data analysis indicated no significant difference in driving styles between the two teammates. Tsunoda later identified his biggest mistake as attempting to replicate Verstappen’s car setup.
The 2025 season proved to be the ‘toughest year’ of Tsunoda’s career, both professionally and personally. He revealed that the difficulties extended beyond the track, affecting his enjoyment of life.
He struggled to reset himself between race weekends, experiencing persistent exhaustion. This led him to seek external psychological support to address his well-being.
For the current 2026 Formula 1 season, Tsunoda was not retained in a full-time race seat. He now serves as the official test and reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
Tsunoda has made a surprise return to competitive action this season, stepping in for Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls for three races. This occurred after Isack Hadjar, a full-time Red Bull driver, fractured his wrist during training.
He competed at the Dutch, Italian, and Spanish Grands Prix. Tsunoda finished 11th in the Netherlands and secured a top-10 finish at the Italian Grand Prix, scoring points in his second comeback race at Monza.
Isack Hadjar, who drives the Red Bull RB22 alongside Max Verstappen, sustained his wrist injury ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. He has since missed three consecutive races.
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that Hadjar’s recovery is progressing as expected, with no reported setbacks. The team plans simulator sessions to assess his readiness for a return at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson, a full-time Racing Bulls driver for 2026, has been deputising for Hadjar at Red Bull. Lawson has scored points in two of his three substitute appearances, with a seventh-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix and sixth at the Madrid Grand Prix.
‘Normally I’m able to understand the car, what I’m driving, what kind of characteristic,’ Tsunoda stated on the Beyond the Grid podcast. ‘But it feels like even after Abu Dhabi, I didn’t know what kind of car I was driving. I still don’t understand what was the issue and what things made me struggle to learn about this car and get used to the car.’
