Yuki Tsunoda has revealed he is experiencing significant pressure as he struggles with a slump in form during his time with Red Bull. This pressure was especially evident during his 100th grand prix appearance at the Canadian Grand Prix, held recently in Montreal, where a 10-place grid penalty for a red flag infringement forced him to start from the back.
The Japanese driver managed to recover to twelfth place but failed to score points for the third race in a row. Meanwhile, his teammate Max Verstappen secured a strong second-place finish, intensifying the contrast in their performances.
Tsunoda Discusses Setbacks and Mindset Under Pressure
Tsunoda described the difficulties he faced over the weekend and expressed frustration over lost time in the final practice session, which impacted his ability to adapt to new car upgrades. Despite these challenges, he acknowledged the pressure as part of an opportunity to improve.
“[Saturday] was a tough day with the 10-place nonsense penalty,” —Yuki Tsunoda, F1 Driver
“Still with our team, you want to be as high as possible, but I enjoy this challenge I guess. [In] these moments I’m having a lot of pressure, sometimes I’m not enjoying them that much but it’s part of the time that [is] an opportunity to improve myself and prove myself more.” —Yuki Tsunoda, F1 Driver
When asked if twelfth was the best he could achieve given the penalty, Tsunoda agreed it was close to the maximum, noting the pace was acceptable though not exceptional. He found some motivation in the improved car performance compared to previous races.
“At least [a] positive is the car performance now, and the pace in the car felt a bit more normal or better than last previous races, so at least there’s a bit of motivation there.” —Yuki Tsunoda, F1 Driver
Red Bull Maintains Support Despite Performance Struggles
Although Tsunoda’s recent results have been disappointing, Red Bull continues to back their driver firmly. Team principal Christian Horner has emphasized that Tsunoda will receive the time and support necessary to build confidence with the RB21 car.
Red Bull plans to keep Tsunoda for the full 2025 season, even though speculation around his future remains due to his ongoing difficulties. The driver joined Red Bull after only two races this season following a driver swap with Liam Lawson, who encountered a challenging start to his campaign.
The spotlight on Tsunoda’s future has intensified partly because of Isack Hadjar’s strong rookie performances for Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, adding another layer of pressure on the Japanese driver’s development.
