Yuki Tsunoda will celebrate his 100th Formula 1 Grand Prix entry this weekend, but he also heads to the 2025 Canadian GP already fighting to save his future with Red Bull.
The 25-year-old will also become the first Japanese driver to reach 100 Grand Prix entries in Canada, as Tsunoda marks his eighth round for Red Bull. He is already the most experienced Japanese F1 driver yet with 96 Grand Prix starts, but how many more he gets is now unclear.
It is already possible that Red Bull may release Tsunoda as soon as the 2025 summer break, having failed to build on the early promise the Kanagawa native offered upon replacing Liam Lawson in March. Tsunoda has scored just seven points during his seven rounds for Red Bull.
Helmut Marko bluntly tells Yuki Tsunoda to ‘score points’ in the 2025 F1 Canadian GP
Tsunoda hugely disappointed Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko last time out at the Spanish Grand Prix, too. The Honda product qualified P20 in Barcelona as the slowest driver of all, so Marko confirmed that Red Bull would discuss Tsunoda’s ‘disappointing’ qualifying.
He has also been 0.692 seconds slower on average in qualifying since ousting Lawson than teammate Max Verstappen. Part of his woes has been thanks to ruining the team’s upgraded floor with his crash at Imola, but Tsunoda will have Red Bull’s updated floor again in Canada.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
186 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
176 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
137 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
111 |
So, Marko is clear that Tsunoda’s target for the Canadian GP must simply be to ‘score points’, having failed to in four of his seven Grands Prix for Red Bull. Tsunoda has only scored points with P9 in Bahrain plus P10 in Miami and at Imola, along with his P6 in the F1 Sprint in Miami.
“Score points!” Marko has now bluntly told Kleine Zeitung. “Ideally, as many as possible.”
Marko also knows exactly where Tsunoda must improve if the Japanese driver is to meet the Red Bull chief’s target of scoring points in the Canadian GP, and that is in qualifying. Tsunoda has failed to impress with his single-lap speed and ‘particularly’ if Red Bull tweak his set-up.
“He’s already doing a good job in the race, but he struggles in qualifying,” Marko said. “He particularly struggles when there are any kind of changes.”
Helmut Marko admits Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar has ‘exceeded our expectations’
To make matters worse for Tsunoda ahead of the Canadian GP, Marko has also waxed lyrical about the driver in line to likely replace him at Red Bull. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar is astounding Marko with the Frenchman’s form which has ‘exceeded’ Red Bull’s expectations.
“He’s sensational,” Marko added. “He drives well on all tracks, regardless of whether he’s familiar with them or not. His Formula 1 debut has so far exceeded our expectations. He certainly has a great future ahead of him.”
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know
Hadjar only secured a seat on the grid for the 2025 F1 season by default when Red Bull took Lawson from Racing Bulls to replace Sergio Perez in their main team last December. Without that change, the 20-year-old would not be on the Formula 1 grid and in line to join Red Bull.
Even if there are no further driver changes during the term, Red Bull are expected to release Tsunoda after the 2025 F1 season. Once the Japanese racer is let go at the expiration of his contract, Racing Bulls will need a driver with Hadjar Red Bull’s favourite to replace Tsunoda.
The Parisian had a heartbreaking start to his Formula 1 career when Hadjar was reduced to tears after crashing on the formation lap for his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. But Red Bull have since seen Hadjar score more points than Tsunoda and Lawson combined in 2025.
Hadjar is already on 21 points from eight Grand Prix starts for the junior Red Bull team since joining Racing Bulls. Tsunoda has 10 points all season with seven for Red Bull, while Lawson has four points which the 23-year-old gifted Racing Bulls with P8 in the Monaco Grand Prix.
