The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend may have marked a turning point for Yuki Tsunoda, but it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. With a sixth-place finish, the Japanese driver delivered his best performance since joining Red Bull, signaling a clear resurgence. Despite finishing behind Liam Lawson, whom he replaced starting from the Japanese GP, Tsunoda successfully kept Lando Norris behind him.
Strong from the start
Fast from the free practice sessions, Yuki Tsunoda made it into Q3 and, with a superb start, quickly moved up the order, showing better race pace and reduced tyre degradation compared to previous weekends. Assisted by updates Red Bull introduced in Monza, he worked hard to unlock the full potential of his car.
Skipping holidays as a turning point
Tsunoda’s revival—and that of Red Bull’s performance—began after a disastrous Hungarian GP weekend. On that Sunday, he informed Laurent Mekies of his decision to cancel his holidays and dedicate himself fully to finding solutions. Back in Milton Keynes, he followed an intense simulator program, collaborating closely with engineers to identify and resolve issues with the RB21.
Since the Monza GP, Red Bull appears to have unlocked the car’s untapped potential, though for Yuki Tsunoda the effort didn’t stop there. He requested extra simulator sessions, and during one of them, he discovered an adjustment that completely transformed his feeling with the car. As he told The Race: “I’ve never had this kind of pace. Now everything makes more sense in terms of the degradation I’m experiencing.”
Mekies himself confirmed: “I think this was his best race with us. He was strong in qualifying and very strong in the race. Sometimes he was two, sometimes three, but rarely four tenths off Max. And Max was pulling away from everyone with that pace.”
Looking ahead to 2026
Mekies had stated during the Italian GP that Yuki Tsunoda’s retention as Red Bull’s second driver would depend on results. The team had indicated they would evaluate his “clean” race weekends, and Baku represented his best performance so far.
Tsunoda himself is aware that a single strong weekend won’t be enough to guarantee his seat; the team wants to see consistent results. Behind him, strong contenders like Lawson and Hadjar are having fantastic seasons in the fast Visa Cash App, while Lindblad could also emerge as a surprise, potentially earning a seat in Red Bull’s junior team.
With seven weekends remaining, Tsunoda has time to convince Red Bull. If he continues on this trajectory, the choice could once again fall in his favor for 2026.
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