MONTMELO, Spain — Yuki Tsunoda faces significant pressure to perform as he finds himself at the back of the grid following the qualifying round for the Spanish Grand Prix. The new Red Bull driver is set to start his seventh race in Formula 1 from the last position, necessitating an outstanding drive to reclaim a spot in the points standings.
Tsunoda moved up from Red Bull’s subsidiary team, Racing Bulls, after the season commenced. Red Bull made the surprising switch after just two races, replacing Liam Lawson as the teammate of Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 champion. Lawson’s performance shortcomings at the season opener in Australia and his last-place qualification in China led to this change.
Now, the spotlight is on the 25-year-old Tsunoda, who must prove his worthiness for the Red Bull seat, having spent four seasons in the junior team. Expressing his frustration, Tsunoda admitted, “Whatever I do, every lap, even on a good long run, nothing changes. It’s puzzling, and I don’t have an answer for it.”
In the shadow of Verstappen, the second Red Bull seat has gained a reputation for being particularly challenging. Previous occupant Sergio Pérez struggled alongside Verstappen, and his declining performance was a contributing factor to Red Bull conceding the constructors’ title to McLaren last season, despite Verstappen clinching his fourth consecutive drivers’ championship.
Tsunoda’s campaign so far has seen his best finish as ninth in Bahrain, and he managed a 17th-place finish at last week’s Monaco Grand Prix. For the Spanish GP, Verstappen is set to start from third position, trailing behind the pole-sitter Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.