Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer highlights lack of promise in Yuki Tsunoda’s telemetry data. Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer reveals that Yuki Tsunoda’s telemetry shows no clear mistakes.

Yuki Tsunoda remains a concern for Red Bull
Max Verstappen’s early retirement just a few corners into the Austrian Grand Prix effectively ended Red Bull Racing’s home race at the Red Bull Ring. Meanwhile, Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda—eliminated during the first qualifying session (Q1)—only drew attention for his contact with Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto.

Yuki Tsunoda had been promoted to the main Red Bull Racing team after only two races due to the underwhelming performances of New Zealander Liam Lawson. However, following Lawson’s impressive sixth-place finish last weekend, the New Zealand driver has now overtaken Tsunoda in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings. This development further exposes the vulnerability of Red Bull Racing, a team that could struggle to stay competitive on the grid if Max Verstappen were ever to depart.

Jolyon Palmer, a former Formula 1 driver and now a respected analyst for Formula1.com, underlined that no clear improvement appears on the horizon for Yuki Tsunoda. According to Palmer, telemetry data from the Japanese driver’s car shows no specific errors or problem areas: “When analyzing Yuki Tsunoda’s data, there aren’t any obvious mistakes or corners where he’s losing significant time,” Palmer stated. “He’s simply not fast. And when the data doesn’t reveal any tangible problem to address, it becomes very difficult to find a solution. That’s why both Yuki Tsunoda and his race engineers seem paralyzed.”

Despite his struggles, Yuki Tsunoda will not be replaced in the Red Bull Racing cockpit during the 2025 Formula 1 season, primarily due to what advisor Helmut Marko described as a “lack of alternatives.” However, from 2026, the Milton Keynes-based team is expected to promote young British talent Arvid Lindblad into Formula 1.

Yuki Tsunoda’s Formula 1 career is now at serious risk. Unless the Japanese driver can reverse this deeply negative trend and deliver stronger results in the second half of the season, his future in the sport appears increasingly uncertain.