Yuki Tsunoda believes he can beat Max Verstappen once he fully understands the Red Bull F1 car. He will make just his third appearance for the team at this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Tsunoda failed to score points on his debut in Japan after a Q2 exit. But he clawed his way into the top-10 shootout in Bahrain and then scored a couple of points with P9.
That was the first contribution from Red Bull’s second driver all season. Tsunoda finished just over 10 seconds behind Verstappen in the race, though he was aided by a safety car that bunched up the pack.
In qualifying, he was nine-tenths off the Dutchman, but it’s worth noting that he didn’t improve from his Q2 effort. Verstappen has beaten his last four teammates so comprehensively that they’ve either been demoted to the sister team or dumped out of F1 altogether.
Damon Hill loves Yuki Tsunoda attitude in Max Verstappen Red Bull battle
Speaking to outlets including The Race ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Tsunoda said he could ‘probably’ outpace Verstappen at the end of his learning phase. He pointed out that he drove for AlphaTauri/Racing Bulls for four seasons, so this is his first experience of changing teams.
Red Bull have advised Tsunoda to focus on himself – the same message they gave to Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez. They feel it can be self-destructive to use an all-time great as a benchmark.
But racing drivers are characterised by relentless ambition and self-confidence, so it’s no surprise that Tsunoda hasn’t taken heed. Writing on his Instagram story, 1996 world champion Damon Hill said ‘go for it Yuki’ in response to the comments.
Daniel Ricciardo was the last teammate who had the edge over Verstappen, outscoring him in the 2017 season. But the Toro Rosso graduate was only 19 at the start of that campaign, and is now enjoying one of the highest peaks ever seen in F1.
What desperate Red Bull could do with Yuki Tsunoda for 2026 F1 season
Hill reckons Red Bull may have promoted Tsunoda to aid engine development for 2026. For the first time in their history, they will use a power unit manufactured in-house.
They’re splitting with Honda, who have powered all four of Verstappen’s title-winning cars. Ford will become their partners, but won’t have the same level of engineering involvement.
Tsunoda has received assurances that he’ll have at least 22 races (the remainder of the season) before he’s at risk of losing his seat. His contract is up at the end of the year.
However, Guenther Steiner reckons will keep Tsunoda for the simple reason that ‘there’s nobody else out there’. The team has arguably become a less desirable destination in recent times, and there’s uncertainty over their long-term prospects.
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