Arguably the most underrated debutant of the season, the Frenchman has hardly put a foot wrong.<\/p>\n
In the Netherlands he embodied that in extremis.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1756769048_562_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
A sublime qualifying lap put him fourth on the grid behind only the McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen.<\/p>\n
In the race he absorbed pressure from George Russell and then Charles Leclerc, both in cars that should have been considerably faster, to hold that position for the entire afternoon.<\/p>\n
Norris\u2019s bad luck was then good fortune for the Racing Bulls star, who was promoted onto the rostrum as just reward for a faultless weekend performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really happy about myself because I really maximised what I had,\u201d he said. \u201cI made no mistakes and brought home the podium.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really comfortable on the brakes, made sure I defended the right way, and that\u2019s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s the second rookie to stand on a podium this season, after Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the Canadian Grand Prix, but his trophy is far more significant.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just that it\u2019s only the fifth podium ever won by the team under Red Bull ownership.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the context in which his giant-killing result was executed.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen\u2019s commitment to continuing with Red Bull Racing next season has taken only some of the sting out of the Red Bull brand\u2019s F1 driver conundrum.<\/p>\n
Yuki Tsunoda\u2019s underperformance alongside the Dutchman has extended beyond the break.<\/p>\n
Momentum had already been building behind Hadjar\u2019s elevation to the senior team. Now with a podium to show for his toil, he\u2019s instantly become the favourite to partner Verstappen in 2026.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the most difficult job in Formula 1, a bona fide career killer in search for its next victim.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am ready for anything,\u201d Hadjar told Sky Sports.<\/p>\n
PIT TALK PODCAST: Oscar Piastri controlled the Dutch Grand Prix for a deserved victory but lucked into a massive points swing when Lando Norris retired from second place with engine trouble. Now 34 points up the road, is it Piastri\u2019s championship to lose?<\/p>\n
DEADLINE SET<\/p>\n
Despite its ruthless reputation, Red Bull is no stranger to agonising over a driver decision.<\/p>\n
Hand-wringing is the reason it ended up with Sergio P\u00e9rez, having wanted to give Alex Albon as long as possible to prove his worth before demoting him from the race team.<\/p>\n
It then waited at least six months too long \u2014 arguably an entire year \u2014 to dispense with Sergio P\u00e9rez, making the call only after the end of last season.<\/p>\n
Dropping Liam Lawson just two rounds into 2025 was an overcorrection, but Tsunoda\u2019s difficulties have forced it back to the decision-making table.<\/p>\n
But this time new team boss Laurent Mekies said Red Bull Racing would be stricter with its deadlines.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at it from a Red Bull perspective, they are our drivers, we have them all under contract,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s only us making the decisions. Why would you put yourself under pressure based on one result or another?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simple truth is that we\u2019ll take our time. There\u2019s nine races to go. I\u2019m not telling you that we\u2019ll wait until the last race, because also there is a dynamic by which you want to let your driver know.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we have time. We\u2019re not in any hurry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re lucky to have Yuki in the car, we have Racing Bulls, which is working very well, and we can also evaluate our young drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n
While \u2018not the last race\u2019 is inexact, Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, who is key to driver line-up decisions for the brand, reportedly told Austrian broadcaster ORF that he intends to make a decision around the time of the Mexico City Grand Prix in the middle of October.<\/p>\n
That gives Tsunoda five faces between this weekend\u2019s Italian Grand Prix and the chequered flag falling in Mexico to state his case.<\/p>\n
You might have thought that would be enough before the break, when the Japanese driver\u2019s fortunes appeared to be improving.<\/p>\n
Equipped with most of the same parts available to Verstappen, he was the closest he\u2019s been to his teammate all season in the qualifying session s in Belgium and Hungary.<\/p>\n
But his qualifying performance in the Netherlands was a step backwards. Qualifying last among the Red Bull-backed drivers and finishing well behind podium-getter Hadjar, the contrast was stark, and the forecast suddenly looked grim.<\/p>\n
‘Rookie mistake’ costs Leclerc his race | 01:23<\/p>\n
HOW BADLY HAS TSUNODA BEEN DOING?<\/p>\n
The statistics paint a grim picture.<\/p>\n
Tsunoda\u2019s vital statistics<\/p>\n
Qualifying result: 12.6 average<\/p>\n
Qualifying head to head: 0-12<\/p>\n
Qualifying deficit: 9.0 places<\/p>\n
Time deficit: 0.506 seconds<\/p>\n
Race result: 12.8 average<\/p>\n
Race head to head: 0-11<\/p>\n
Race deficit: 8.09 places<\/p>\n
Points deficit: 160 points (9-169)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth considering that Hadjar\u2019s average qualifying result is 9.7 and his average finishing position is 10.5, both well ahead of Tsunoda.<\/p>\n
His average qualifying position, qualifying time and race deficits are the largest of any teammate except for Liam Lawson in that seat in the first two rounds of the season.<\/p>\n
Of course we also know that Red Bull Racing has serious car problems. Tsunoda isn\u2019t the first good driver to thoroughly underwhelm alongside Verstappen \u2014 just ask Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio P\u00e9rez and Lawson.<\/p>\n
But even if the above data points aren\u2019t representative of Tsunoda\u2019s ability \u2014 he scored more points in a slower car last season \u2014 thy are immutable. These are the results he\u2019s delivering in a car Verstappen has driven to the top step twice this season.<\/p>\n
There are some signs of improvement, even in what appeared to be a step backwards in the Netherlands, where he qualified half a second slower than Verstappen.<\/p>\n
In the race he was more impressive, scoring two points for ninth, his first top-10 finish since May\u2019s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
He did so in tense circumstances.<\/p>\n
His strategy was undermined twice by the timing of safety cars, dropping him further and further into the pack.<\/p>\n
In the final stint of the race he was hampered by a throttle problem that meant his right pedal was largely unresponsive until pressed beyond 40 per cent.<\/p>\n
The problem was later revealed to be down to the car not being switched to the right engine mode during his final pit stop. It\u2019s unclear whether it was caused by the car or the driver.<\/p>\n
‘Most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen!’ | 01:14<\/p>\n
Regardless, Tsunoda performed well under pressure to score with a performance he doubted he would have been capable of in previous seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like everything gave me a lot of challenges \u2014 almost too much,\u201d he said afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last stint, even though I was out of position and still out of the points, I got some big issue that normally, probably in the first few years [of his career] I would have not given up but would have lost the confidence to drive fast.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I stayed focused, and in the end I got P9, which makes me really happy. Even in those circumstances I was able to overtake a couple of cars, which wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally P9 is not really special, but especially after seven races and with the car in such a situation, I think that was something special for me and gives me some confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
But curiously he also suggested it wasn\u2019t down to him gelling better with the car.<\/p>\n
He said his first score in four months had more to do with getting his hands on the same upgrades as Verstappen for the first time since May.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the last especially three races the team pushed me a lot, gave me a lot of things to give me performance in the car, and that helps a lot,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo I massively appreciate the team for having massive support. It\u2019s time for me to adapt as much as possible and score points and be as close as possible with Max.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just something I needed a lot. It felt like a big challenge, [but] it used to be kind of normal, being in this kind of position.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll just keep pushing.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Tsunoda is right and his underperformances have been almost entirely down to the car, then the points should flow in the next five races to meet his deadline.<\/p>\n
Ice cool Piastri ‘in control’ after win | 01:29<\/p>\n
BUT HAS MARKO ALREADY MADE UP HIS MIND?<\/p>\n
That assumes, however, that he\u2019s still in the fight.<\/p>\n
While Marko backed Tsunoda\u2019s elevation to Red Bull Racing, the Austrian powerbroker is only an ally so long as a driver can return results.<\/p>\n
Otherwise in Marko\u2019s world there\u2019s always a newer, shinier object to fascinate \u2014 and Hadjar\u2019s podium is sparkling brilliantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had to fight pretty hard for it, you know,\u201d Marko told Autosport. \u201cI saw Russell attack him several times, and the other driver was Leclerc \u2014 they really tried, but he stayed calm. He didn\u2019t do anything wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, yeah, there\u2019s a good one coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marko appeared to have no concern that Tsunoda had also looked impressive before taking up the Red Bull Racing drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsack is different,\u201d he said. \u201cHe had these engine problems on Friday. He completely missed one session and missed 50 per cent of the other one or so. But he wasn\u2019t worried. He said, \u2018I have the speed, I will qualify in the top five\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
One result shouldn\u2019t case the die, but Hadar\u2019s performance in the Netherlands ticked so many of the Red Bull program\u2019s boxes.<\/p>\n
Marko loves a driver who demonstrates supreme mental \u2014 check.<\/p>\n
He loves a driver with immense one-lap speed \u2014 check.<\/p>\n
And he loves a headline-grabbing, head-turning result \u2014 check.<\/p>\n
These were the criteria that got Nyck de Vries his shock AlphaTauri drive after a single good weekend as a substitute driver for Williams.<\/p>\n
And there have been countless drivers to have rotated through Red Bull program on F1\u2019s periphery that have met similar requirements.<\/p>\n
Hadjar is looking like exactly the sort of driver Red Bull Racing would promote to the senior team.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the lessons of history, that might be enough to make the change.<\/p>\n
There are some other factors that should be considered.<\/p>\n
The first is that next year\u2019s all-new rules could finally give Red Bull Racing a chance to design a car drivable by more than just Verstappen. Having already invested in Tsunoda for years, if the Japanese driver can show at least something, it could be considered prudent to at least see what he can do starting from scratch.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s al the matter of Verstappen\u2019s contract, which is said to have even more favourable escape clauses next year. If Red Bull\u2019s first in-house engine disappoints, you can be sure he\u2019ll have no shortage of suitors among the better performing teams.<\/p>\n
Would it be wise to burn through another driver with that possibility on the horizon?<\/p>\n
But irrespective of these questions, the ultimate deciding factor in Formula 1 is performance.<\/p>\n
The longer Tsunoda struggles to score, the less tenable his position becomes regardless of the extenuating circumstances.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the Sunday at the Dutch Grand Prix really was a turning point in his season.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d better hope it was.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rookie Isack Hadjar walked onto the Formula 1 podium for the first time in his fledgling career at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[2095,12295,64,2347,63,70684,84235,84238,84236,2071,51020,84229,4971,2791,13275,84245,84228,84243,84240,84225,14210,11301,15186,82605,81130,2057,817,84237,84239,84230,84232,25621,84234,813,816,3875,2105,4405,43485,939,84241,10114,75915,1737,43346,2082,825,2184,16255,2041,18500,84226,2119,84233,84224,13777,84227,14218,84244,84242,81128,25606,84231,32654,2072,2643,85,84246,81113,74824,14228,2062,84247],"class_list":["post-119163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-america","tag-andrea-kimi-antonelli","tag-au","tag-august","tag-australia","tag-average-finishing-position","tag-average-qualifying","tag-average-qualifying-position","tag-average-qualifying-result","tag-belgium","tag-breakthrough-podium","tag-car-problems","tag-carlos-sainz","tag-central-america","tag-charles-leclerc","tag-chequered-flag-falling","tag-data-points","tag-deadline-set","tag-driver-conundrum","tag-driver-decision","tag-driver-market","tag-eastern-europe","tag-engine-failure","tag-engine-problems","tag-engine-trouble","tag-europe","tag-f1","tag-faultless-weekend-performance","tag-favourable-escape-clauses","tag-fide-career-killer","tag-final-pit-stop","tag-final-stint","tag-fledgling-career","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-george-russell","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-helmut-marko","tag-horror-day","tag-hungary","tag-immense-one-lap-speed","tag-isack-hadjar","tag-japanese-driver","tag-lando-norris","tag-maiden-podium","tag-mark-thompson","tag-max-verstappen","tag-mexico","tag-netherlands","tag-north-america","tag-orf","tag-performing-teams","tag-pit-talk","tag-points-deficit","tag-qualifying-result","tag-qualifying-session","tag-race-deficits","tag-race-result","tag-race-team","tag-right-engine-mode","tag-rookie-mistake","tag-safety-cars","tag-score-points","tag-senior-team","tag-sergio-perez","tag-sky-sports","tag-sports","tag-sublime-qualifying-lap","tag-throttle-problem","tag-time-deficit","tag-vital-statistics","tag-western-europe","tag-young-drivers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}