BREAKNG: F1 Champion Raises Concern Over Yuki Tsunoda’s Role Following…read more
Major Concern Raised Over Yuki Tsunoda’s Role in Red Bull’s F1 Development by Former Champion
Former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has cast doubt on Yuki Tsunoda’s ability to contribute effectively to Red Bull’s car development, despite the Japanese driver’s recent promotion to the main team.
Tsunoda was brought in to replace Liam Lawson after just two races into the 2025 season, as the New Zealander failed to deliver strong performances alongside Max Verstappen. While Tsunoda has shown some improvement, Red Bull continues to trail behind McLaren in the early stages of the season.
Speaking to Vision4Sport, Villeneuve questioned whether Tsunoda has what it takes to support the development of the RB21.
“Yuki Tsunoda is performing better than Liam Lawson, but I don’t think he’ll really help with car development,” said Villeneuve. “It’s a different mentality, and I don’t see him being at that level.”
Villeneuve also highlighted Verstappen’s experience as a key asset, pointing to his approach during the Suzuka weekend where he secured Red Bull’s only win of the season so far.
“Max can’t share the workload — that’s not who he is,” Villeneuve continued. “In Suzuka, one setup was cautious and didn’t work. The other, which pushed the limits, paid off.”
As Red Bull seeks to find more performance in upcoming races, questions remain about whether Tsunoda can play a significant role in moving the team forward.
Also worth checking out: In a special RacingNews365 podcast episode, Ian Parkes and Nick Golding team up with former F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer to preview Imola and discuss the latest on Verstappen, McLaren, Ferrari, and more.
