{"id":122329,"date":"2025-09-08T06:54:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T06:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/122329\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T06:54:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T06:54:12","slug":"who-slept-worst-last-night-yuki-tsunoda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/122329\/","title":{"rendered":"Who slept worst last night: Yuki Tsunoda"},"content":{"rendered":"

Things are starting to look tight for Yuki Tsunoda<\/a>. Much as we all like the affable Japanese Formula 1 driver, the numbers don\u2019t lie: since stepping up from Red Bull\u2019s B team to the main one, he has managed just nine points, while Max Verstappen<\/a> has collected 194 in the same period, including three Grand Prix victories. Not even all the Campari in Milan can wash that down.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t help but feel a little sorry for Yuki. Since his F1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021 he has become something of a global cult figure among fans. Even Hollywood actress Kristen Bell recently posted a photo of herself on Instagram wearing a Tsunoda T-shirt.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s easy to see why. The mix of a cute outward appearance, sometimes a little awkward because of his language struggles, paired with the foul-mouthed killer in the cockpit who swears like a trooper whenever things don\u2019t go his way \u2013 it\u2019s a unique combination.<\/p>\n

\"Yuki <\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Photo by: Joe Portlock \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Not to mention: on his day, Tsunoda is a very quick grand prix driver.<\/p>\n

Take 2024, for instance: first he sent Daniel Ricciardo<\/a>, once billed as Verstappen\u2019s challenger, into retirement. Then he beat Liam Lawson<\/a> in their head-to-head with eight points to four.<\/p>\n

The reason he wasn\u2019t promoted to Red Bull at the start of 2025, with Lawson getting the nod instead, was mainly because former team boss Christian Horner never rated him as highly as Helmut Marko did. Off the record, Horner would openly tell anyone who asked what he did and didn\u2019t see in Tsunoda.<\/p>\n

So Lawson got his chance first \u2013 but when he cracked under the pressure at the sharp end of the grid and was sent back down to Racing Bulls<\/a>, it was time to let Tsunoda see how well he could breathe in thinner air.<\/p>\n

Marko has always believed in the 25-year-old. When I visited him in his Graz office in the summer of 2020 and dutifully asked, as a journalist from a German platform, about Mick Schumacher<\/a>\u2019s chances, the Austrian grew irritated: why, he asked, was everyone obsessed with Schumacher when no one seemed to have the foresight to realise that Tsunoda was actually far more talented?<\/p>\n

\"Race <\/p>\n

Race Winner Yuki Tsunoda, Carlin celebrates in Parc Ferme<\/p>\n

Photo by: Andy Hone \/ Motorsport Images<\/p>\n

At the end of that Formula 2 season, Schumacher was champion and Tsunoda third, but Tsunoda had jumped straight from Formula 3 and the Toyota Racing Series \u2013 which made his rookie season result all the more impressive.<\/p>\n

At AlphaTauri it was a mix of highs and lows. Tsunoda became just as well-known for his radio meltdowns as for his likeable traits \u2013 like in 2023, when Imola was flooded. Instead of flying home in business class after the race was cancelled, Tsunoda pulled on his wellies and helped the people of Faenza save their hometown.<\/p>\n

Faenza became Tsunoda\u2019s adopted home because Franz Tost had sent him there. He was a talented junior, but his English was dreadful and his diet questionable. In press conferences and interviews, he would light up whenever the topic turned to pasta or pizza. Fitness training, some quipped, wasn\u2019t exactly his strong suit.<\/p>\n

So Tost took him in almost like a foster son, dragged him out for morning jogs, and arranged for the wife of an English-speaking AlphaTauri manager to give him language lessons. Tsunoda struck up a friendship with his team-mate Pierre Gasly<\/a>, who made sure the Japanese driver didn\u2019t lock himself away at home gaming and eating pizza, but instead became more sociable.<\/p>\n

\"Pierre <\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri<\/p>\n

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool<\/p>\n

Tsunoda has come a long way since those early days in F1. And yet, many still don\u2019t quite take him as seriously as he deserves \u2013 except for one man: his new team principal, Laurent Mekies.<\/p>\n

When Mekies arrived at Red Bull, it must have felt like the sun breaking through the clouds for Tsunoda. Horner had shown little concern for his wellbeing, saving the newest parts for Verstappen rather than bolting them onto the second car. Mekies put an end to that. One of his first acts was to finally give Tsunoda the improved floor that had been sitting around in Milton Keynes anyway.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the small things that make the difference. Every time Tsunoda returns to the pits after a strong run, Mekies greets him with a friendly smile from the pitwall. And whenever the inevitable question arises \u2013 could Isack Hadjar<\/a> be promoted to Red Bull as soon as 2025? \u2013 Mekies brushes it off, saying there\u2019s no reason to even discuss the 2026 driver line-up yet.<\/p>\n

\"Yuki <\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls Team Principal<\/p>\n

Photo by: Kym Illman \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the catch: the fact that Red Bull has suddenly found a more human touch in dealing with its second driver also means Tsunoda is running out of excuses if his results don\u2019t improve soon.<\/p>\n

Alexander Albon once described the Red Bull as a car as twitchy as a computer mouse set to maximum sensitivity. The VCARB may not be quicker, but it is almost certainly easier to drive. And Tsunoda still hasn\u2019t quite managed to move the cursor to exactly where he wants to double-click, metaphorically speaking.<\/p>\n

He needs to figure that out quickly. Because if he can\u2019t deliver enough to stay at Red Bull, his Formula 1 career could be over sooner than he would like.<\/p>\n

Tsunoda came into Formula 1 with Honda\u2019s backing. But in 2026 the Japanese manufacturer will supply only Aston Martin as a works team \u2013 and both seats there are already taken, by Fernando Alonso<\/a> and Lance Stroll<\/a>, the owner\u2019s son.<\/p>\n

The road back to Faenza and the Racing Bulls may also be blocked. 2026 would be Tsunoda\u2019s sixth season \u2013 not exactly fitting the remit of a junior team. And Red Bull has probably seen enough of him by now, while Marko still has plenty of other juniors waiting for their chance.<\/p>\n

If Tsunoda has to go, Hadjar will most likely inherit his place. Probably too early, after just one year, but with the upcoming rules reset, the timing could make sense. And Hadjar is not an overthinker \u2013 he\u2019s a doer, someone who gets in the car and delivers without worrying too much. Exactly the mentality a Verstappen team-mate needs.<\/p>\n

At Racing Bulls, Josep Maria Marti or Arvid Lindblad could be promoted, maybe one of them alongside Lawson as a more experienced reference point.<\/p>\n

\"Race <\/p>\n

Race winner Arvid Lindblad, Campos Racing<\/p>\n

Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd<\/p>\n

Elsewhere the doors are closed: McLaren<\/a>, Ferrari<\/a> and Mercedes<\/a> are already set for 2026. The idea of Toto Wolff dumping Kimi Antonelli at the last minute for Tsunoda is unthinkable. Williams<\/a> has locked Albon and Sainz in \u2013 so has Aston Martin with Alonso and Stroll, unless the latter suddenly decides to pursue tennis coaching instead.<\/p>\n

Audi and Haas have no vacancy either, and Alpine<\/a>, after re-signing Pierre Gasly, has only one slot left. But would Flavio Briatore really go looking for Tsunoda? Highly unlikely.<\/p>\n

It could get very tight for little Yuki. Which is a pity, really. Because both as a racer and as a person, Tsunoda is a genuine asset to Formula 1.<\/p>\n

\"Yuki <\/p>\n

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing<\/p>\n

Photo by: Steven Tee \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

In this article<\/p>\n

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