Yuki Tsunoda was once again left with more questions than answers after a demoralizing British Grand Prix in which he finished a distant 15th – the last of the classified runners – capping off another dispiriting weekend in a season that's steadily unraveling.
The Japanese driver’s disappointing result, coupled with a penalty for a collision, has left him at a loss for how to reverse his fortunes with Red Bull.
Despite flashes of potential in qualifying, where Tsunoda narrowly missed out on Q3 due to a power issue, race day at Silverstone exposed the deeper problems plaguing Tsunoda since his switch to the senior Red Bull squad.
Starting from 11th on the grid, the 25-year-old appeared poised to take advantage of the unpredictable wet-dry conditions, but instead sank steadily down the order, his afternoon marred by lacklustre pace, a penalty, and visible frustration.
Lost at Sea
After the race, Tsunoda didn’t sugarcoat his disappointment, calling his car’s pace “very slow” and describing his race as baffling.
“I mean, it’s quite clear with that collision,” he said of his tangle with Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, which earned him a 10-second sanction. “Other than that, to be honest the pace was sadly very slow.”
©RedBull
But it wasn’t just a bad day – Tsunoda suggested a deeper, ongoing issue with how the car behaves over longer stints.
“When it comes to the long run, it’s something that always is very outstandingly slow somehow. Just ‘degging’ [the tyres] like crazy – I never had like this kind of feeling,” he admitted.
“I know we were running quite low downforce, but to be honest I had still good confidence in the rain. The rain pace was absolutely nowhere, so I’m a bit lost.”
Even the few bright spots he found over the weekend couldn’t soften the blow.
“Yeah, a couple of positives from the dry conditions. On one lap it was pretty good, but yeah, the long run is something to look at more,” Tsunoda said, reflecting on the stronger pace he showed in qualifying before Sunday’s spiral.
Horner: “Calm things down a bit for him”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, meanwhile, drew comparisons between Tsunoda’s struggles and a long-standing F1 dynamic: talented but outmatched teammates failing to adapt to a car tailored to a once-in-a-generation driver.
“I just spoke to Eddie Irvine, and it was very reminiscent of what he experienced with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in the 90s,” Horner told F1TV.
“Such exceptional drivers can drive a car that is extremely designed for a super-strong front axle – and there are very few who can do that.”
In other words, the current Red Bull is built around performance traits that only elite-tier drivers can exploit. For Tsunoda, the team is now looking for a way to ease the burden.
“That’s why we’re trying to take a different approach with Yuki to calm things down a bit for him,” Horner said.
Tsunoda’s P15 at Silverstone marked his third non-points finish in four races, compounding the pressure as the driver market continues to churn around him. With Racing Bulls charger Isack Hadjar still lurking as a senior option, the Japanese driver’s spot at Red Bull feels increasingly uncertain.
What once looked like a breakthrough season has now begun to resemble a slump – one that Tsunoda himself admits he doesn’t yet know how to fix.
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