The Story of Yuki Tsunoda: A Struggling Redemption or the End of the Road?

Yuki Tsunoda’s Formula 1 journey has long been one of extremes. The fiery Japanese driver has spent years proving his talent, but his consistent struggle with performance and temperament has kept him from reaching the lofty heights many had hoped for. Fast forward to 2025, when Tsunoda was handed the golden opportunity to step up to the senior Red Bull team, alongside reigning champion Max Verstappen. This move was seen as the moment of redemption, the ultimate chance to prove the doubters wrong. It was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for Tsunoda, but instead, it has quickly turned into a nightmare, raising questions about his future in F1.

The Road to Redemption: Was 2025 Tsunoda’s Year?

For many years, Tsunoda’s future in F1 had been filled with uncertainty. His raw talent was never in question, but consistency had always been his Achilles’ heel. Despite his natural speed, Tsunoda was often overshadowed by teammates, and his aggressive driving style and fiery nature made him a target for criticism. However, the dream of representing Japan in a top-tier Formula 1 team remained alive, and when Red Bull called him up to partner with Verstappen in 2025, it seemed like a dream come true.

This was Tsunoda’s moment to shine, to finally silence his critics and prove that Japan could once again produce a true F1 star. With a seat in one of the most dominant teams on the grid, the expectations were high. But instead of flourishing, Tsunoda’s season quickly unraveled into a battle of frustration and missed opportunities.

The Brutal Reality of Teammate to Verstappen

One of the most challenging roles in Formula 1 is to be a teammate to Max Verstappen, and Tsunoda’s story is no different. Verstappen, a near-perfect driver, has been the undisputed star of Red Bull for years, winning race after race and dominating the competition. To stand alongside him in the same car is an almost impossible task, and it seems that Tsunoda is the latest victim of this ruthless dynamic.

Looking at the results, the numbers are shocking. After 16 rounds, Verstappen has accumulated a staggering 230 points, continuously fighting for wins and podiums. Tsunoda, on the other hand, has managed only 12 points. Even worse, three of those points came before his promotion to Red Bull, when he was still driving for the sister team, AlphaTauri. In the superior RB21, Tsunoda has struggled to keep up, leaving many to question whether he truly has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Monza: A Clear Snapshot of Tsunoda’s Struggles

The 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza perhaps best encapsulated Tsunoda’s struggles. In qualifying, he was nearly eight-tenths of a second slower than Verstappen in Q3, a massive gap in F1 terms. On race day, while Verstappen cruised to another dominant victory, Tsunoda finished a dismal 13th, over 80 seconds behind the winner. Although Tsunoda suffered floor damage in a collision with Liam Lawson, it did little to ease the damning judgment from Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko. Marko did not mince words, describing Tsunoda’s performance as “incredibly stupid” and questioning why the Japanese driver couldn’t unlock more pace from the car.

This was a turning point. Marko’s words held weight in the Red Bull camp, where driver performance is scrutinized intensely. If Tsunoda couldn’t prove his worth quickly, the team wouldn’t hesitate to make a change, just as they had done with Sergio Perez the year before.

The Shadow of the “Second Seat Curse”

Tsunoda’s position at Red Bull is not an enviable one. For years, the second seat at Red Bull has been considered cursed. Drivers like Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Perez have all failed to keep up with Verstappen and were eventually discarded. Despite his natural speed, Tsunoda now appears to be following the same trajectory. The fact is that the Red Bull car is built specifically to Verstappen’s driving style, and any teammate who struggles to adapt is doomed to failure. Gasly, Albon, and Perez all experienced the same fate, and now Tsunoda seems to be on the same path.

While some might argue that Tsunoda is being unfairly judged, the reality is that Red Bull has little patience for drivers who cannot perform at the highest level. In F1, results are everything, and Tsunoda’s struggles are becoming impossible to ignore.

The Politics of Red Bull’s Driver Academy

Behind the scenes, the politics of Red Bull’s driver academy add another layer of complexity to Tsunoda’s situation. Red Bull has no shortage of talented drivers waiting in the wings, and one of the most promising is Isack Hajar, a rising star who has caught the attention of the paddock. Rumors suggest that Hajar may already have been told that the 2026 seat is his to lose, putting even more pressure on Tsunoda. Alongside Hajar, Arvid Lindblad is another young talent rapidly making his way through the ranks, further threatening Tsunoda’s place at Red Bull.

With Honda’s departure from Red Bull looming at the end of the year, Tsunoda is also losing his most powerful sponsor and political shield. Without Honda’s backing, he becomes much easier to cut loose, making his position even more precarious. Red Bull has always been ruthless in its decision-making, and Tsunoda’s fate now seems to lie in the hands of the team’s management.

A Glimmer of Hope?

Despite the mounting pressure, not everyone at Red Bull is ready to give up on Tsunoda. Team principal Christian Horner and others have offered words of support, citing small improvements in recent races, such as Tsunoda’s return to the points at Zandvoort and closer qualifying gaps at Budapest and Spa. Horner remains hopeful that Tsunoda can turn things around, even if progress has been slow. However, words of encouragement from the team boss mean little when the scoreboard tells a very different story.

Tsunoda himself seems to have accepted that his future is no longer entirely in his hands. His responses to the media have become increasingly flat, and he no longer exudes the same fiery determination that once defined him. After Monza, when asked about his future in F1, Tsunoda simply stated, “It’s not easy, but you just have to do it.” There is no sense of defiance, no real belief that he can defy the odds. It’s as though he already knows that his fate has been sealed.

The End of the Road?

As the 2025 season draws to a close, the question remains: Is this the end of the road for Yuki Tsunoda in Formula 1? Will he be another victim of Red Bull’s brutal system, or can he somehow pull off a miracle performance that forces the team to take notice? If Tsunoda fails to deliver in the final races, Red Bull will likely make a decision before the season is over. If Hajar continues to impress, Tsunoda may find himself out of a job.

In the cutthroat world of Formula 1, there is no room for sentimentality. If Tsunoda is to survive, he will need to deliver something spectacular in the final stages of 2025. Otherwise, the dream of becoming a Red Bull star will become a distant memory, and Tsunoda may be remembered not as the man who conquered the second-seat curse but as its latest victim.

The future of Yuki Tsunoda in F1 now hangs in the balance.