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Tsunoda, Hadjar, Lawson and even F2 driver Arvid Lindblad<\/a> are still waiting for clarity on where they will drive next season.<\/p>\n What could be decisive in Red Bull’s next steps is their team principal Laurent Mekies – who has committed to supporting Yuki Tsunoda<\/a> as much as possible.<\/p>\n Following Pierre Gasly’s Red Bull exit in 2022, Yuki Tsunoda became the benchmark at VCARB.<\/p>\n Tsunoda consistently outperformed the teammates put alongside him, from De Vries to Ricciardo, throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old was also comfortably faster than Isak Hadjar in their very brief time as teammates.<\/p>\n In this context, Tsunoda has been one of Red Bull’s most important assets for some time.<\/p>\n Of course, with Christian Horner never especially confident in Tsunoda’s abilities, the Japanese driver effectively became a test for other Red Bull prospects.<\/p>\n In many ways, this was Pierre Gasly’s role<\/a> at the second team after his Red Bull demotion halfway through 2o19.<\/p>\n Regardless, when Lawson<\/a> struggled at the start of 2025, Red Bull immediately back-tracked on their decision to overlook Tsunoda.<\/p>\n Since joining Red Bull, a combination of factors have limited Tsunoda’s output.<\/p>\n According to team principal Laurent Mekies, however, none of these reasons are a consequence of skill.<\/p>\n Mekies, who was the 25-year-old’s team principal at VCARB, refuses to blame the #22 driver for his tough spell:<\/p>\n “The priority is to give Yuki what he needs to perform,”<\/em> he told Sky Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n “With regards to the second seat, that’s where the priority is. It’s what the team is concentrated on.<\/em><\/p>\n “They have been trying that for a number of races now. We are trying to find ways together to make a further step.<\/em><\/p>\n “Spa was very positive, certainly from that perspective, Hungary was a tricky weekend overall. So it’s probably a bit more difficult to judge.<\/em><\/p>\n “But there is no reason why Yuki’s performance cannot be what we have seen in the past.<\/em><\/p>\n “And that’s what we are concentrated on right now.”<\/em><\/p>\n On several occasions this season, Tsunoda has shown signs of promise at Red Bull.<\/p>\n The most recent example of this was in Belgium, qualifying 7th after receiving the same floor spec as Verstappen.<\/p>\n It was poor strategy on Sunday that prevented him from scoring points.<\/p>\n Even at the most recent Hungarian GP, Tsunoda was only a tenth behind Verstappen in qualifying.<\/p>\n Due to Red Bull’s decline, as evidenced by the reigning Champion only finishing 9th on race day<\/a>, this was not enough to make it out of Q2.<\/p>\n In more ways than one, Tsunoda – who had a case for a promotion in 2024 – has joined the team at the worst possible time.<\/p>\n Despite this, there is still a chance for the 25-year-old to stabilise his position.<\/p>\nWhy Yuki Tsunoda still has Red Bull’s support<\/h2>\n
Chance for a fresh start in Zandvoort<\/h4>\n
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