Yuki Tsunoda has seemingly struggled to get to grips with the RB21 after being promoted to Red Bull from the 2025 F1 Japanese GP. With 8 races left for 2025, Red Bull still need to confirm a driver for the 2026 F1 Season. During a print media session after the F1 Italian GP on Sunday, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was asked about Tsunoda’s performance so far.
Mekies on finalizing Red Bull’s driver lineup for 2026
After the F1 Italian GP on Sunday, Mekies was asked how about his driver lineup for the next Formula One season and how the Japanese driver is going.
Tsunoda has been performing okay in qualifying compared to Lawson at the start of 2025. However he is struggling with his race pace. He finished 13th during the Italian GP while his teammate Max Verstappen was on the top step of the podium. Damage did not help.
“So same as you guys. Quali pace, race pace, that’s what we look at.
“It’s as simple as that.
“You know, today’s race for Yuki is difficult to read because of the traffic in the first stint and damage in the second stint.
“But, you know, I look at yesterday’s qualifying.
“It still qualified as a good weekend. He was 2 tenths from Max in Q1. Max was not exactly slow this weekend.
“And, you know, with a small deficit from the car, he was 2 tenths from Max in Q2. There is no doubt everybody is pushing 100% in Q2.
“And yes, the gap was bigger in Q3.
“But first he split the car in Q3, which is a very good performance. And second, he was first on the road in Q3. It didn’t help as well.
“So, I think, you know, short run pace, I think, was a very good sample for Yuki.
“Long run pace, it’s frustrating not to have clean race data.”
Laurent Mekies reflects on Tsunodas struggles in the RB21
Tsunoda has had a different experience driving the Red Bull than Verstappen’s other teammates. He has performed better in qualifying but lacked race pace.
Tsunoda is currently P19 in the drivers’ standings with 12 world championship points. Lawson and Hadjar, who drive for Racing Bulls, Red Bulls junior team, are P15 and P9 in the standings.
When asked what Tsunoda is struggling with during the races, Mekies highlighted how it is difficult to get “clean samples” from his race.
Laurent Mekies recognised that Yuki Tsunoda had a difficult race at the F1 Italian GP after he suffered floor damage from colliding with Lawson, making it more difficult to gather data on his performance.
“I’m tempted to tell you, clean samples.
“Because today was a poor sample. You know how it is.
“The races at the front are very clean. You get at least a good stint to read your performance.
“Here it’s very difficult to get anything out of today.
“First stint in traffic, second stint with the car damaged.
“If I look back to the last couple of races its quite similar. I think it’s correct to say that we probably have more work to do on the race pace than the quali pace with Yuki.
“But again, it’s also why we are giving ourselves a bit more time.”
Yuki Tsunoda’s performance in the remaining 8 races will be a defining factor in whether he gets the Red Bull seat in 2026. With Verstappen confirmed to stay with Red Bull for 2026, the team still need to lock in their second driver.
