Tsunoda has been under increasing pressure at Red Bull<\/a>, with concerns over his contribution to Red Bull\u2019s constructors\u2019 championship<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n Before Sunday\u2019s race in Baku, Tsunoda had only scored nine points since replacing Liam Lawson<\/a> at the Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n His performances over recent months have led to growing speculation that Isack Hadjar might be promoted to Red Bull<\/a> next season to drive alongside Max Verstappen<\/a>.<\/p>\n RANKDRIVERTEAMPOINTS1Max VerstappenRed Bull252George RussellMercedes183Carlos SainzWilliams154Kimi AntonelliMercedes125Liam LawsonRacing Bulls106Yuki TsunodaRed Bull87Lando NorrisMcLaren68Lewis HamiltonFerrari49Charles LeclercFerrari210Isack HadjarRacing Bulls12025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix results<\/p>\n The Frenchman took his maiden F1 podium at the Dutch Grand Prix, while Tsunoda and Lawson are two of the five drivers left on the grid who have yet to record a top-three finish.<\/p>\n Tsunoda\u2019s marked improvement in Baku was overshadowed by Lawson qualifying third and finishing fifth, but Ted Kravitz<\/a> believes that the Japanese driver\u2019s most recent outing has done his hopes of being on the grid in 2026 no harm at all.<\/p>\n Red Bull are expected to decide their driver line-ups for next year around the Mexico City Grand Prix, giving Tsunoda three more opportunities to impress Laurent Mekies<\/a> and Helmut Marko<\/a>.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda\u2019s life outside F1 from height to parents<\/a><\/p>\n Kravitz was reflecting on all the action from Baku in Ted\u2019s Notebook (21\/9 3:20 pm) and saw Red Bull\u2019s second driver walking through the paddock.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cHere is Yuki. Yuki was brilliant today.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the real Yuki Tsunoda turned up again; he\u2019s just been given a bracelet, but that\u2019s a very solid P6 for Yuki Tsunoda.<\/p>\n \u201cVery good stuff, so happy to see him back in the points for Red Bull, and hopefully that\u2019s what\u2019s going to cement him staying in the Red Bull driver program.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he\u2019s probably going to go back down to Racing Bulls next year. But, with more points positions like that, then he will be very much in that team with that man in the Racing Bulls anorak, and hopefully he\u2019ll be there, because he\u2019s doing a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links<\/a><\/p>\n Lando Norris admits he could \u2018barely keep up\u2019 with \u2018unbelievably fast\u2019 Yuki Tsunoda<\/p>\n The final phase of the race saw Norris chasing down Tsunoda on fresher tyres to try and close the gap to his teammate Oscar Piastri in the championship after his crash on the opening lap.<\/p>\n Tsunoda has enough to fight for personally, but holding off Norris also gave Verstappen\u2019s faint championship hopes a boost, with the Dutchman only 69 points behind Piastri with seven race weekends to go.<\/p>\n As quoted by journalist Adam Cooper, Norris admitted when speaking about his battle with Tsunoda: \u201cI don\u2019t think we were bad, but I could barely keep up with Tsunoda.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were parts of the track where the Red Bull was just unbelievably fast.<\/p>\n \u201cI had no chance to keep up with him in some areas of the track. We clearly struggled a little bit this race.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘@LandoNorris<\/a> on Baku: “I don’t think we were bad, but I could barely keep up with Tsunoda. There were parts of the track where the Red Bull was just unbelievably fast. I had no chance to keep up with him in some areas of the track. We clearly struggled a little bit this race.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) September 21, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n View Tweet<\/p>\n If Tsunoda does return to Racing Bulls, then the question for their team principal, Alan Permane<\/a>, is whether to stick with Lawson or promote Arvid Lindblad<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2236078998-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV\/AFP via Getty ImagesTed Kravitz says Yuki Tsunoda is \u2018probably\u2019 returning to Racing Bulls in 2026<\/p>\n