Red Bull have a lot of work ahead of them to rectify their current car issues if they want to win championships this year and in the future.
Yuki Tsunoda became Max Verstappen’s third teammate in the last four races at the Japanese Grand Prix as the Milton Keynes-based outfit bids to find a solid option in their second seat.
Clearly Red Bull haven’t been so successful so far, leading to the demotion of Liam Lawson back to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls after just two Formula 1 races with them.
With the 2026 F1 regulations approaching, time is running out for them to find a long-term solution to their woes. Their instability may be an unsettling factor for their four-time champion in the first car.
Red Bull are set for a major update which could completely change the trajectory of their 2025 campaign at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
It comes too late for one driver though, with Red Bull’s Lawson measures deemed ‘excessive’ for a full-time rookie with little top-level racing experience.
READ MORE: Yuki Tsunoda kept repeating one complaint on the Red Bull team radio during the Japanese Grand Prix, ‘it’s hard…’
Red Bull may have promoted Yuki Tsunoda to help with 2026 engine development
With a 24-race calendar this season, there are still 21 long weekends to go before a champion can be decided.
Beyond that, teams are gearing up for some of the biggest regulation changes in history. Damon Hill believes there is a chance Tsunoda was promoted with an eye on developing Red Bull’s engine.
“Have Red Bull made the Liam Lawson decision with half an eye on development for 2026, therefore giving Yuki as much time as possible to help work on the new car?” Christian Hewgill asked.
“Yeah. Honda are actually leaving at the end of this year for Red Bull. My guess is that the basis for the powertrain, a lot of it is Honda-inspired anyway,” Hill responded.
“I think he did ok. Jumping, changing teams and getting into a race situation like you said, that’s the most he had ever done with a Red Bull car was actually during the race so he learned a lot from that experience of just completing the race.”
READ MORE: Red Bull now banking on two ‘game-changing’ moves to give Max Verstappen advantage over McLaren in 2025
Why Yuki Tsunoda is the right driver choice for Red Bull’s 2026 prospects
Feedback is critical in Formula 1 car development. While Red Bull and Verstappen are chasing a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship, they also need to be pushing forward with plans for the future.
That’s where having a competent and experienced second driver comes in very handy. With 93 races of experience, Tsunoda can contribute to the direction of the RB21 heavily.
He will also be able to push the team in a certain direction for 2026. It’s pretty clear by this stage that his team cannot afford to continue to be a one-man operation.
Tsunoda kept repeating a Red Bull complaint during his debut for them and found it too hard to follow rival cars.
It’s the perfect example of his experience shining through already. He’s telling them where they must improve.
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