After Red Bull decided to promote Liam Lawson instead of Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver is facing a crucial season for his Formula 1 career
Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has warned that Yuki Tsunoda may not have a future in Formula 1 if he fails to beat his new rookie teammate Isack Hadjar in the upcoming season.
“He has to show it himself,“ Marko told Motorsport.com. ‘He has a young, fast teammate next to him, and it’s about his own future – so he has to motivate himself.’
”If he performs well, then there is a future. If not, then maybe there is no further chance for him in Formula 1,” the Austrian speculated.
Tsunoda is entering his fifth season with Red Bull’s sister team – now called Racing Bulls – after Liam Lawson was chosen as Verstappen’s teammate from 2025.
Although his rise through the junior series has been rapid and he has done well compared to his previous teammates, such as Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo, the 24-year-old Japanese driver must now clearly get the upper hand over Hadjar to consolidate his position in the Red Bull family.
That’s why Lawson was chosen over Tsunoda
Red Bull’s decision to promote Lawson may seem surprising. After all, the New Zealander has a modest 11 Grand Prix starts under his belt in Formula One and has been beaten by Tsunoda in qualifying and on points.
But as Marko explains, “The decision was primarily a question of mental strength. Unfortunately, Yuki had two accidents around the race weekend in Mexico, while Liam performed very well at the time. We looked at all the facts and then made the decision in favor of Liam.”
The team leaders are aware of the additional pressure that comes with a place alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen – Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon and Sergio Perez have already had to deal with this.
In this context, Tsunoda’s alleged mental instability, which manifested itself in numerous outbursts of anger over the radio, was seen as a major weakness compared to Lawson. The latter is also seen as a driver with a steeper learning curve and thus greater potential.
No unconditional support from Honda
Should Tsunoda be dropped by Red Bull, he could potentially join Aston Martin, which will run Honda engines from the 2026 Formula 1 season.
HRC President Koji Watanabe makes it clear that Tsunoda is no longer a Honda works driver, but continues to be supported by the Japanese brand. “Tsunoda has a sponsorship contract with us,” he says. ‘He is basically an independent driver, but we support him as a sponsor.’
However, there are currently no signs that a place will become available at Aston Martin next year. Fernando Alonso is likely to want to extend his record-breaking Formula One career, while Lance Stroll continues to enjoy the support of his father Lawrence as team owner.
Furthermore, Honda’s influence on the continuation of Tsunoda’s career may prove to be limited. “He has to take action himself,” emphasizes Watanabe. “He is now in his fifth year, has the necessary skills and understands the world of Formula 1 well. There is not much more we can do for him.”
“Drivers can’t rely on Honda forever. Someone at Tsunoda’s career level has to take responsibility themselves,” the Honda boss insists.
