It’s Only a Matter of Time Before Yuki Tsunoda Leaves Red Bull

Sam Bird believes Yuki Tsunoda’s tenure at Red Bull is limited, arguing a replacement feels a matter of timing rather than possibility.

Tsunoda moved into the senior team earlier this season, replacing rookie Liam Lawson to partner four-time champion Max Verstappen.

While progress is evident, Tsunoda struggles to match Verstappen’s reference pace. Singapore underlined that deficit when Verstappen lapped him during a race Verstappen finished second.

Tsunoda finished 12th in Singapore, and also trailed other frontrunners. That result reinforced internal questions about his ability to deliver consistently alongside a title-contending package.

Red Bull’s second seat demands reliability, adaptability, and qualifying sharpness. The car’s development direction is tailored to Verstappen’s preferences, increasing the burden on any teammate to adjust rapidly.

Attention is already turning to 2026, when new power unit regulations reset competitive baselines. Red Bull may want clarity on its supporting driver well before that transition.

Rising prospect Isack Hadjar leads the shortlist. Arvid Lindblad, another junior, features as a longer-term option, potentially through the sister team pathway.

Bird floated an accelerated audition for Hadjar this season, using the final six races to build familiarity with engineers, procedures, and race-weekend pressure at the senior team.

Early mileage would also test compatibility with a car philosophy built around Verstappen’s strengths. That alignment is pivotal for strategy bandwidth and tyre-life management across varying circuits.

The competitive calculus includes constructors’ standings risk. Red Bull will weigh points security against development value, simulator correlation, and succession planning under the cost cap’s operational constraints.

Tsunoda’s current trajectory keeps pressure high. Results must trend upwards quickly to counter the narrative and secure leverage over Lawson for any residual 2026 opportunity.

For now, Red Bull’s priority remains maximising Verstappen’s title platform. The second seat’s mandate is clear: qualify strongly, protect strategy options, and convert clean, points-rich Sundays.

The remaining rounds will decide whether Tsunoda tightens that deficit or clears the path for Hadjar to step in sooner than expected. The decision window is narrowing.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.