Red Bull won’t rule out Yuki Tsunoda losing seat to F1 star who ‘exceeded all expectation’

Red Bull have already given Max Verstappen two team-mates so far this season after Liam Lawson was dropped for Yuki Tsunoda and a third is not beyond the realms of possibility

Christian Horner insists it is still “early days” for Yuki Tsunoda as a Red Bull Racing driver. However, the team principal failed to rule out the possibility of another driver swap before the current Formula 1 season is out.

And Red Bull have already dropped one team-mate to Max Verstappen in 2025, which is how Tsunoda got the seat in the first place. He was promoted from sister team Racing Bulls to take over from Liam Lawson, who was demoted just two rounds into the season after buckling under the pressure.

Lawson didn’t score a point at all for Red Bull so, on the face of it, the seven managed by Tsunoda since the swap is an improvement. But it is still nowhere near the sort of output the team needs from its second car.

The last two races were particularly bracing for the Japanese racer. He crossed the line 17th in Monaco, that second car’s worst Grand Prix finish of 2025 so far, including Lawson’s results, before qualifying 20th and last for the Barcelona race last Sunday.

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Speaking afterwards, Red Bull team principal Horner was non-committal when asked if Red Bull could make another driver change before the year is out. “I think I’m going to take a leaf out of Flavio’s [Briatore, Alpine boss] book and say, ‘I don’t want to answer it’,” he laughed.

But then he gave a real answer: “Look, it’s early days for Yuki. He’s still settling in. He’s been in Q3, scored points, he’s scored points from the pit lane. He’s had a few incidents as well, so he has a long way to go. We’ll decide. We’ve got plenty of time on our side.”

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Tsunoda is out of contract at the end of the year. He has been strongly linked with a move away from the Red Bull stable having impressed with his development since debuting in the sport in 2020, but failing to land a promotion to the top team until this year – even initially overlooked in favour of Lawson despite being far more experienced.

More pressure is coming the Japanese’s way as a result of impressive performances from another Red Bull driver, though, Isack Hadjar is one of several rookies on the F1 grid this year and has been one of the best performing, producing consistent qualifying results which he has converted into 21 points to date for Racing Bulls.

The last two races brought his best results yet, sixth place in Monaco and seventh in Spain. And Horner told French TV that he is delighted with the start the Parisian youngster has made since stepping up from Formula 2. “I think he’s been the most outstanding of the rookies,” the Red Bull boss said.

“The expectation on him wasn’t as high as he’s delivered so far. He’s exceeded all our expectations, he’s been fast, he’s been consistent. He’s constantly delivered, and I think it’s been a great start to his Formula 1 career. He just needs to keep that momentum running. His future, if he keeps performing as he is, is very bright.”