Tsunoda takes responsibility for F1 Austrian GP shocker

Yuki Tsunoda insists he is still feeling the love from his Red Bull bosses after admitting the issues with his poor Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix were all of his own making.

Having replaced Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s team-mate just two races into the 2025 season, the Japanese driver has struggled to make the step up from Racing Bulls and has scored just seven points across nine grands prix and a sprint race in Miami, to add to his three points scored with the sister team in China.

Such form has served to fan the flames that the driver of the second Red Bull car cannot eek as much out of it as four-time world champion Verstappen, with Tsunoda’s display at the team’s home race in Austria only acting as a prevailing wind.

Having been eliminated in Q1, Tsunoda started the race from 18th and made little progress during a tough afternoon under the sweltering Spielberg sun, finishing 16th and last – two laps off winner Lando Norris having been unable to find pace.

Tsunoda’s issues were only compounded when he was handed a 10-second penalty for colliding with the Alpine of Franco Colapinto and – ahead of the British Grand Prix – he was willing to shoulder all the blame for a forgettable showing.

“The issue in the race was me,” he replied, when asked if he had worked out what the problem had been in Austria.

“The overtake…I tried to overtake in a way that probably I could just wait one more lap. It was a bit unnecessary to push flat out that much in that situation. So, the racecraft wasn’t ideal.

“The pace itself, yeah, to be honest, after that… changed the front wing and everything and just, it’s not really the best reference I’ll get. But it’s still the session I’m working on really hard so far.

“Especially the long run is the stint I’m normally struggling at. So we worked so hard last couple of days into here, what we can do better. And we’re going to try another couple of things that I never thought about.

“I’m looking forward to it, feeling strong. I think in the short run it will just come hopefully soon in terms of the confidence level I want.”

While his current form has left many suggesting he could go the same way as predecessor Lawson, Tsunoda believes he retains the backing of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and the team’s advisor Helmut Marko, who has also insisted Tsunoda will remain in place for the remainder of the year.

“I feel definitely the support, especially these days and more than ever, from Christian, Helmut. I went to the south of the UK with a physio from Red Bull to reset myself, and that was coming from them,” he said.

“They just wanted me to have fresh air and everything. So that helps me a lot to build up my rhythm. Also, we’re going to try a couple of things that I never tried, and they allow me to do quite a lot of things that probably they wouldn’t do in a normal case.”

On whether Marko publicly stating Tsunoda would not be replaced was a positive, he added: “Rather than him saying probably going switch in two races or whatever, for sure. But like I said, him and Christian are very supportive.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Oliver Mintzlaff, Managing director Red Bull GmbH, Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“He was not happy with my race in Austria, but at the same time, he’s still willing to continuously help and support me. He still trusts my talent and the speed, so I just have to prove on track that I can do it.

“Helmut is just a direct guy. Some races if you do bad, he just tells me what was wrong and what was right. It’s a pressure that he gives me. Sometimes brings me into the level that I never think about or extracts from me some performance.

“It’s just the way that he works since when I was a junior. I appreciate the amount of support I’m getting so far.”

While the support is important, the beleaguered Tsunoda also said his confidence in his own ability remains – even while believing the suggestion that any Red Bull team-mate of Verstappen is accurate.

“It depends on the driver, but also at the same time, I didn’t see yet so far the driver who probably got used to it in that car straight away. So that’s probably the fact, but at the same time, I feel I’m in the right direction, at least on the short runs,” he explained.

“I missed out probably Q1 in Austria, but at the same time, the gap was pretty small. Also in terms of the whole package, I know there’s something to come as well into this year compared to Max. So once I get full package, I still have good confidence that I can be in a level that they want.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images

“That’s what I’m working hard on. The long run is exactly the place that I’m still struggling at, but I’ll find a way. I saw a couple of driving styles [changes] that I can try that I never tried in my career in Formula 1. It’s just the learning stuff. Is it true that in terms of confidence, when the condition changes every session, maybe I’m taking a little bit more time compared to where I used to have at VCARB.

“I knew exactly how the car was going to drive in each set-up; I can go flat out from the first push. But maybe in the Red Bull, I had to build up, which for me is the right approach. I don’t think it’s a wrong approach but just takes a bit of time. I don’t know if it’s going to take a whole season or not, but at least it’s positive that I’m going in the right direction.”