Yuki Tsunoda has declared that he “knows what’s going to happen” to his position at Red Bull should his results not improve in the remaining Formula 1 races in 2025.
The initial promise that Tsunoda showed upon taking Liam Lawson’s place in the senior Red Bull team two rounds into the campaign has subsided over recent weeks.
Tsunoda has contributed a single point during the previous three rounds, concluding with a wretched showing in Spain that he has treated as an anomalous weekend.
However, Red Bull’s senior bosses have repeated their intention to complete the season with Tsunoda amid the recognition that the RB21 is a challenging car to tame.
But while he is adamant that he has made strides to get to grips with Red Bull’s 2025 challenger, Tsunoda has acknowledged that results will determine his prospects.
“As long as I don’t really perform myself, I know what’s going to happen and I know myself, it’s not the place I should be,” Tsunoda told media including Motorsport Week.
“But let’s see. I have confidence that I can come back strong. You guys like to talk about the second seat, about Red Bull, but it is what it is.
“I know there are things I’ve improved in the past years and past races, especially at the start of this season. There’s a lot going on.”
Tsunoda, who revealed that Red Bull has permitted him to trial an unnamed change, is hoping that this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix can prove to be a turning point.
“I would say partly this kind of track will be the reset,” the Japanese driver continued.
“I think my progress in terms of understanding is getting there, but I just need a bit of time to do it actually on the track with driving.
“It’s always easier to understand by doing it actually on the track. But I’m sure it will come at some point, and the progress is there. So I’m not really rushing it too much yet.”
How a Tsunoda test outing has helped Red Bull
Tsunoda admitted his past test run in Red Bull’s all-conquering 2023 machine allowed him to provide the team with some ideas about how the RB21 can be improved.
“I had a lot of laps. I tried the RB19, especially driving with exactly the same track as how I also drove in the RB21 race week,” he explained.
“So you can see a clear difference, but using the academy tyres, so it’s a bit different there.
“I think I was able to give good feedback to them and give some ideas that maybe we can improve or we can take some benefits from the RB19.
“But generally, it’s not that huge of a difference, so it’s good. Also the [Pirelli] tyre test was for 2026, so I was only focused on the feedback.”
READ MORE – Red Bull highlights ‘serious’ concern over Yuki Tsunoda F1 form
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