The 2025 Austria Grand Prix left a wake of controversy and questions in the Red Bull garage, especially around Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese pilot, who assumed the second seat of the team after the departure of Liam Lawson, faced a weekend to forget at the Red Bull Ring. His performance, marked by expensive errors and a penalty that sank him even more, has unleashed a whirlwind of speculation about his future in the Austrian team. Are we facing the end of the Tsunoda era on Red Bull? The answer could be closer than many imagine.
The Spielberg circuit, known for its intensity and demand, was a brutal testing field for Tsunoda. Despite the expectations that Japanese demonstrated his worth after his ascent from Racing Bulls, the result was bleak. It ended in the last position, being the only pilot bent twice in the race, a fact that resonates as a painful echo for a team accustomed to dominate. But it was not only the final result that lit the alarms. On Tour 31, Tsunoda tried risky overtaking about Franco Colapinto in Curve 4, resulting in a collision that damaged both cars. The maneuver, judged as imprudent by the FIA commissioners, cost him a penalty of 10 seconds and two points in his superícence, adding a total of four points of sanction that place him under even greater scrutiny.
The team director, Christian Horner, did not hide his disappointment. He described Tsunoda’s career as “horrible”, highlighting not only the incident with collapint, but also his inability to manage the tires, which according to the pilot “melted” return after return. This performance, combined with a disastrous classification where it fell in Q1 for the third time in five races, has intensified doubts about whether Tsunoda is the ideal partner for Max Verstappen. The contrast is evident: while Verstappen struggle for victories, Tsunoda has failed to add significant points since his rise in the Japan Grand Prix, accumulating only seven points in the season.
The pressure is not new for tsunoda. Since he replaced Sergio Pérez in 2024, the Japanese has faced the challenge of filling a historically complicated seat. Red Bull has had difficulty finding a pilot that can complement Verstappen’s overwhelming talent, and Tsunoda seemed a logical bet after his solid performance in Racing Bulls. However, his history of emotional reactions and errors under pressure, such as the crash in Icola that forced him to reverse an ancient chassis, have caused him to stagger him. Helmut Marko, sports advisor to Red Bull, although critical, has ruled out an immediate pilot change, stating that “it makes no sense” at this point in the season. Instead, the team plans to work to rebuild Tsunoda’s confidence for the next Grand Prix in Silverstone.
But the horizon is not entirely clear. The recent obtaining of the Superliccence by Theo Lindblad, through an exemption from the FIA, has opened the door to new possibilities. Lindblad, a young promise of the Junior Red Bull program, could be considered as an alternative if Tsunoda fails to reverse her situation. In addition, Honda’s departure as a partner of Red Bull in 2026, replaced by Ford, could further weaken the position of Tsunoda, who has historically been supported by the Japanese manufacturer. This raises an intriguing scenario: could Lindblad, or even a return of Liam Lawson, be the solution that Red Bull needs to strengthen his alignment?
Austria’s Grand Prix not only exposed Tsunoda’s weaknesses, but also highlighted a structural problem in Red Bull: the difficulty in consolidating a second competitive pilot. While Verstappen continues to be the team’s backbone, the team cannot afford to run with one leg in the Construction Championship, as already happened in 2024 when McLaren snatched the title. The question that floats in the Paddock is whether Tsunoda will be redeemed or if Red Bull will make a drastic decision before his contract ends in 2025. For now, Silverstone will be a new chapter in this saga, and the eyes of the world of Formula 1 will be placed in the young Japanese, hoping to see if he can transform the doubt into redemption.
