Laurent Mekies says Red Bull remains fully committed to Yuki Tsunoda in Formula 1, with no plans to replace him while work is ongoing to help maximise performance from the car.
Since Max Verstappen’s arrival at Red Bull, the second seat alongside him has become a revolving door – and, thus, a frequent topic of debate.
After Daniel Ricciardo chose to step out of the Dutchman’s shadow, the team trialled Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, both moved on quickly after struggling to meet expectations.
Sergio Perez was given a longer run and found early success, but as Verstappen went for his fourth title, Perez’s form faded. He was replaced by Liam Lawson at the end of the season.
Lawson’s stint, however, lasted two races before Tsunoda was handed the seat. But with the Japanese driver struggling to tame the tricky RB21, a familiar story has begun to emerge.
Tsunoda has endured multiple Q1 exits, a points drought, and hasn’t made the impact Red Bull would have hoped for in the Constructors’ Championship.
On paper, it looks like another change is coming. But under new leadership, that may not be the case.
Mekies, who replaced the ousted Christian Horner and brings a technical background from Racing Bulls, is showing more patience – and has defended Tsunoda’s position.
“The priority is to give Yuki what he needs to perform,” he explained to Sky Sports F1 during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
“That’s where, with regards to the second seat, that’s where the priority is. It’s what the team is concentrated on.
“They have been trying that for a number of races now. We are trying to find ways together to make a further step. You know, Spa was very positive, certainly from that perspective.
“Here it’s a bit of a tricky weekend overall, so it’s probably a bit more difficult to judge.
“But there is no reason why Yuki’s performance cannot be what we have seen in the past. And that’s what we are concentrated on right now.”
Hungarian struggles highlight Tsunoda’s battle for equal machinery
Tsunoda finished 17th at the Hungaroring, extending the longest points drought by any driver in Red Bull’s 20-year history.
Starting from the pit lane due to multiple component changes, Tsunoda was unable to make an impact during the race.
Ahead of the Budapest weekend he stressed that he cannot be compared to Verstappen, especially with a disparity in the upgrades received compared to the reigning World Champion.
“How he [Verstappen] always extracts performance consistently every session, every Grand Prix, is very impressive,” Tsunoda told media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s not things that you can do very easily. And it seems like he can. It looks like he does it very easily.
“But at the same time, I just don’t think it’s fair to compare. And I don’t want to directly compare with him because he’s been here nine years in that car and I’m just jumping into the car.
“And also, let’s see if I get exactly the same car. Until that point, I can’t compare directly.
“But until then, I’m just focused on myself because I know clearly what I can improve and I just progress in my own way, step by step.”
However, it’s important to note that Verstappen also suffered his worst result of the season in Hungary, highlighting that the RB21’s limitations aren’t exclusive to Tsunoda.
READ MORE – Why Yuki Tsunoda sees ‘positives’ despite setting unenviable Red Bull F1 record
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