Yuki Tsunoda hasn’t scored points since the Imola GP, a concerning statistic for both driver and team.
The 25-year-old has struggled to find results since joining Red Bull, putting more pressure on his shoulders in the second half of the year.
However, there are various mitigating factors that can explain Tsunoda’s points slump.
One of the most significant has been the difference between Tsunoda and Verstappen’s cars.
It was only in Belgium that the Japanese driver received the same floor as his teammate – and even Red Bull underestimated the impact this would have.
Tsunoda reveals importance of floor update
In the early parts of the season, Red Bull worked intensely on upgrades for the RB21.
The Austrian team was optimistic, at least until the Spanish GP, that Verstappen could fight for the title.
Of course, these aspirations have essentially evaporated in the months since then.
Still, upgrades from the factory in Milton Keynes were constantly being rushed to the track.
Because of how intensely Red Bull were pushing for updates, they have not produced many spare components.
This means that Tsunoda’s crash in Imola would see him without the same floor specification as Verstappen for several rounds.
With the field closer than ever (and Red Bull in decline) this was costly for the #22 car.
When Tsunoda was given the same floor as Verstappen for qualifying in Belgium, he instantly responded by securing P7 on the grid.
Speaking to the media in Zandvoort, Tsunoda says the team didn’t realise how much time he was losing with the old floor:
“Actually, the last two races before the summer break, that helps me a little bit.
“Probably they didn’t recognise that much, especially Helmut, the difference between me and Max – in terms of package differences.
“As soon as they introduced that [the same floor], my pace was suddenly much improved.
“[In] Hungary, the difference between me and Max was very small… that shows that – ‘Actually, hold on. Maybe there’s some potential’.”
Tsunoda’s targets for the second half of 2025
These comments speak to the core of Red Bull’s self-inflicted driver dilemma.
Despite promoting Tsunoda after round two, the team were still doubtful of his abilities – at least under Christian Horner’s leadership.
The 25-year-old showed strong pace in Japan, Jeddah and Miami when he first joined Red Bull.
In the context of Lawson’s results and his non-existent pre-season, there was reason to be optimistic.
However, after his crash in Imola, Tsunoda’s struggles were attributed to his own performance – without taking into account his car being different to that of Verstappen.
Perhaps in a more positive environment, this would have been recognised sooner.
Critically, it was only after Laurent Mekies became team principal that Tsunoda was given the same floor specification.
Unfortunately for the Japanese driver, he joined Red Bull just as their performance has dipped.
The Austrian team are now several steps behind McLaren, and are increasingly slower than Mercedes and Ferrari.
Qualifying in Hungary, where Tsunoda was eliminated in Q1 (despite being a tenth off Verstappen) is the most recent evidence of this.
As a result, Tsunoda will hope that he can deliver at circuits where the RB21 is more competitive – whilst also maintaining a respectable gap to his 4-time Champion teammate.
Main photo: Joe Portlock/Getty Images (Red Bull content pool)
