Franz Tost questions Tsunoda’s approach: speed alone is not enough at Red Bull Racing
The second seat at Red Bull Racing has become infamous within Formula 1. For more than half a decade, every driver who has been given the task of partnering Max Verstappen has eventually been overwhelmed by the challenge. The Dutch champion continues to set relentless standards, and those alongside him are often left struggling. Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Pérez, and even Liam Lawson have all discovered how quickly careers can be damaged when results fall short. Now Yuki Tsunoda is under the spotlight, and his time with Red Bull is proving just as complicated.
Tsunoda stepped into the senior team after just two races of Lawson’s stint, with Red Bull hoping that the Japanese driver’s experience in Formula 1 and his bursts of raw speed would make him a reliable partner for Verstappen. In the junior categories, the Honda protégé had built a reputation for aggressive racecraft and impressive one-lap pace, raising expectations that he could adapt quickly to life in a top team. The move seemed logical, especially with his familiarity with the Red Bull system and his previous years at AlphaTauri, now Racing Bulls.
However, the RB21 that Tsunoda inherited was not the unbeatable machine that Red Bull had fielded in the previous seasons. The car still showed flashes of competitiveness in Verstappen’s hands, often fighting with McLaren and occasionally outperforming them, as seen in Monza. Yet the Japanese driver found himself stuck on the fringes of the points, unable to replicate his teammate’s consistency. Part of this gap could be attributed to the fact that Verstappen frequently received the latest development parts, but the margin between the two drivers was still too large to be explained by equipment alone.
Franz Tost, the long-serving former team principal of Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri, recently offered his perspective on why Tsunoda’s progress seems to have stalled. Speaking on Austrian broadcaster Servus TV, Tost argued that the issue was not a lack of natural ability. Instead, in his view, the real problem lay in Tsunoda’s work ethic and the way he approached the job of being a Formula 1 driver.
According to Tost, Tsunoda’s natural speed may even have become a disadvantage. In Formula 2 and Formula 3, his raw pace often allowed him to achieve results without exhaustive preparation, which may have created a habit of relying too much on instinct. Tost suggested that in the highly competitive environment of Formula 1, that approach was insufficient. He stressed that when a driver is consistently half a second to a second slower than a teammate, the only solution is to dedicate long hours in the garage and spend nights poring over data until the reasons are clear. In his opinion, Tsunoda had not yet embraced this level of dedication.
The Austrian manager emphasized that Tsunoda needed to change his mentality if he wanted to survive at Red Bull. Talent, he noted, can open the door to Formula 1, but only relentless effort, discipline, and a professional approach can sustain a career at the very top. In his eyes, Tsunoda had not been working hard enough to compensate for the gaps in his performance. Tost concluded that the Japanese driver was now at a crossroads: either he committed to a much more rigorous routine, or his time at Red Bull would be short-lived.
The reality of life next to Max Verstappen is that there is almost no margin for error. Verstappen has evolved into one of the most complete drivers in Formula 1, capable of extracting performance from the car in any condition. For his teammate, this means not only delivering strong race pace but also finding every detail in preparation to close the gap. Tsunoda’s task is therefore monumental, especially in a season where the RB21 is not as dominant as its predecessors and points are harder to secure.
Beyond the technical and tactical aspects, the pressure is compounded by the looming presence of young talents waiting for their chance. Isack Hadjar, who has already impressed in the Red Bull system, is seen as a potential successor. If Tsunoda fails to raise his level in the second half of the season, the French-Algerian driver could be in prime position to take his seat. That prospect adds urgency to Tsunoda’s need to demonstrate progress not just in flashes of speed, but in consistency and professionalism.
The closing stages of the 2025 Formula 1 season will therefore be decisive for Tsunoda’s future. He must reduce the gap to Verstappen, prove that he can manage race weekends with maturity, and show that he has the commitment necessary to thrive in a top team environment. Simply declaring the intention to improve will not be enough. He must overhaul his preparation, sharpen his weekend execution, and convince Red Bull that he is more than just raw speed. If he cannot, his seat may quickly become another casualty of the Red Bull second-driver curse.
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