Mekies: Tsunoda still not good enough
Red Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies says Yuki Tsunoda is not yet performing well enough. He does acknowledge progress. But he says the result is not enough to be reassured. Tsunoda himself does not feel satisfied either.
What happened in Austin
Tsunoda scored points in both the sprint and the main race of the US Grand Prix. In total, that earned eight points, his best week this season. He started in the sprint from spot 18 and made two strong starts.
At the same time, the gap to teammate Max Verstappen remained wide. In the race, Tsunoda lost about 52 seconds on Verstappen. In qualifying, he was 0.765 seconds slower.
Tyre and balance problems
Tsunoda said he was too cautious with tyre management during the second stint. He said it is difficult to feel the limit and therefore does not know quite how much he can push up on longer runs. He is also struggling with the lack of grip on the soft compounds.
On the softs, the gap with Verstappen widened. Whereas the hard tyres seemed competitive at first, that advantage disappeared on softer rubbers. Tsunoda also suspects to suffer from the bumpy track.
Racecraft and opening laps
In Austin, his first laps were remarkably aggressive. In the sprint, he dived in sharply at Turn 1 and took advantage of the chaos at the front. In the process, he narrowly hit another driver's car. In the main race, he took bold but mostly sensible risks. On an optimistic overtaking attempt, he needed the help of Carlos Sainz to avoid a collision.
Impact on the team
The main problem is that Tsunoda could not maintain the same speed after those sharp starts. The lack of a regular points-scoring second car will cost Red Bull points in the constructors' championship. That makes the team choice for 2026 all the more important.
Choices for 2026
Red Bull is considering several options for next year. Rookie Isack Hadjar is considered a serious candidate for the Red Bull seat. The team does not want to wait until the end of the year again with a decision. It is looking to tie the knot as early as around the Mexican Grand Prix.
Tsunoda is not expected to be replaced this season. Red Bull still needs him for the constructors' battle. He can also help in testing and in supporting Verstappen in the drivers' championship.
- Hadjar promote to senior car.
- Forwarding Arvid Lindblad to Racing Bulls.
- Putting Tsunoda back at Racing Bulls along with Lawson.
- One experienced driver alongside a young Lindblad to lead the team.
Practical considerations and relationships
Arvid Lindblad had a winning Formula 2 season, but he is still young and also made incidents. A combination of experience and youth seems preferable. That could mean Red Bull choosing one experienced driver to guide Lindblad.
There is also tension between some drivers. The relationship between Tsunoda and Liam Lawson is not hot. That will count in the final line-up.
In conclusion
The clock is ticking for Tsunoda. He is showing progress by finishing in the points twice and showing strong starts. But consistent speed is still lacking. Red Bull needs to make a quick decision on 2026, while at the same time the team wants to use the remaining races to collect points and important data.
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