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Former F1 driver explains Red Bull’s ‘painful realisation’ about Yuki Tsunoda

Originally posted on HITC | By Kyle Archer | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 10:20 AM ET

Yuki Tsunoda has now gone seven straight races without scoring a point for Red Bull, matching his total points tally since joining the team.

He moved over from Racing Bulls in March to take Liam Lawson’s seat, but the decision has not paid off. In the 12 races since, Lawson has scored 20 points compared to Tsunoda’s seven.

All of those points came in his first five appearances for Red Bull. Since then, he has gone through a stretch of seven consecutive finishes outside th e top ten, with his best result being P12 in Canada. No other driver had ever gone so long without scoring a point while racing for Red Bull.

In that landscape, Helmut Marko revealed that Tsunoda’s future will be decided after the summer break. His contract ends this season, and Red Bull is unlikely to renew it.

Robert Doornbos thinks Red Bull realise Yuki Tsunoda is their ‘worst’ second driver ever

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Tsunoda is expected to leave Red Bull in 2026, with the team prioritising F2 rookie Arvid Lindblad for Racing Bulls. Robert Doornbos, who drove for RBR three times in the 2006 season, believes Tsunoda acknowledges he does not deserve a seat.

His form has come under intense scrutiny this year. Twice qualifying dead last and regularly struggling to make it out of Q1, his performances have led to growing doubts about his future.

“Yuki’s performance in the second seat is the worst performance ever in the team’s history for a second driver. That’s a very painful realisation.

“I think Yuki is a great guy, and I also think he’s shown some really good things in his very long F1 career. But at Red Bull, what he’s doing with that car is far from pretty. That’s just painful for the entire team. He doesn’t deserve a seat for 2026, I think he realises that,” Doornbos said to Motorsport.com.

Robert Doornbos urges Red Bull not to rush Isack Hadjar promotion in 2026

Despite Tsunoda’s struggles, Doornbos does not think Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar should be promoted just yet. He believes Max Verstappen could easily overwhelm Hadjar if they were paired up too soon.

Hadjar has shown promise early on, but Doornbos thinks another season with Racing Bulls would serve him well before making the jump to Red Bull. He said:

“Isack Hadjar is a super talent, a mega qualifying beast. They really have a project for the future in him. But please don’t put him alongside Max too soon, because Max consumes all his teammates.

“So, if Hadjar can drive for Racing Bulls for another year like this, I think he’ll benefit. Let me put it this way, I don’t think finding another second driver is a top priority at Red Bull Racing right now.”

Despite Doornbos’s concerns about timing, Marko remains keen on promoting Hadjar to Red Bull as early as 2026. The French rookie has already impressed with Racing Bulls, sitting behind only Verstappen in points within the Red Bull family. His best finish so far is sixth place in Monaco.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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