If Red Bull want to regain the championship double, they’re going to need a second driver who is “good enough”, and that is not Yuki Tsunoda says David Croft.

Ever since losing Daniel Ricciardo at the end of the 2018 season, Red Bull have struggled to find a team-mate that’s on Max Verstappen’s level.

Red Bull’s past, present and potential future?

Whether it is pure speed, driving style, confidence or that the Red Bull cars, denied by Red Bull, are designed to suit Verstappen, the end result is that his team-mates are not on the same level as the Dutchman.

While he has won multiple races and four World titles, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson have come and gone with only Perez even winning a race.

And now Tsunoda is in the car.

But he too is finding it difficult.

Verstappen scored 100 points in their six races as team-mates, winning two, whereas Tsunoda has bagged just seven points.

Between Tsunoda and Lawson, who was in the car for the first two races of the F1 2025 season, Verstappen has been left to fly the Red Bull flag alone with his 136 points making up all but Tsunoda’s seven in the teams’ standings.

F1 2025: Red Bull team-mates head-to-head stats

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

The disparity is once again hurting Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship as they are sitting in third place with fewer than half of McLaren’s points: 319 to 143.

Such is Verstappen’s ability he has already single-handedly overhauled Mercedes for second, but he cannot compete against McLaren’s two-car attack.

It has Croft declaring Red Bull have the “wrong” driver alongside Verstappen in the RB21.

He believes the team should’ve instead re-signed former Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz, a proven race winner with Ferrari.

“I personally think they’ve got the wrong driver still. If they want to win a Constructors’ Championship, go and get a driver that is good enough,” he said on Sky’s The F1 Show podcast.

“And Yuki might well be in time, I don’t think he’s proved it.

“Well, they should have got Carlos Sainz. But for whatever reason, that didn’t happen. Carlos Sainz was the driver available on the market.”

However, having signed a multi-year agreement with Williams, Sainz is no longer available with the team having refuted speculation that his contract allows him to leave after just one season if the likes of Red Bull or Mercedes come calling.

But rather than continue with Tsunoda, Croft believes Red Bull should now make a play for Mercedes’ George Russell, who is out of contract at the end of this season.

“Now, once you’ve not got Carlos Sainz, who are you looking for in the future?” Croft continued.

“Lando’s locked into a long-term contract. George Russell’s out of contract at the end of this year. It would be an interesting combo and it would give us plenty to talk about.

“And I don’t think there’s any animosity between George and Max. They’re just fiercely competitive human beings who have not always seen eye to eye on the track at any given moment.

“But that’s the calibre of driver they’re going to have to get.

“And I’ve not got a downer on Yuki, trust me. But is he a consistent podium finisher or race winner? Look at the stats. No, he’s not.

“Do you want to be a constructors’ champion? Yes. Therefore, go out and get a consistent race winner or podium finisher.”

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