Yuki Tsunoda has revealed what he believes he needs to achieve over the remaining 10 races this year in order to keep his Red Bull seat for the 2026 season.
The Japanese driver has endured a difficult 2025 campaign so far after being moved into the senior Red Bull team from Racing Bulls after just two races, swapping places with Liam Lawson.
Since then, team mate and reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has taken two victories and sits third in the Drivers’ Championship, while Tsunoda has only managed three points finishes, the last of those coming at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix back in May.
Ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Tsunoda admitted that the summer break had put into focus what he needed to achieve over the remaining races this season in order to try and secure himself a spot on the grid next year.
“Score points, I think that’s the main thing. That’s it,” he told the media on Thursday.
“It’s been a while since I scored points but at the same time, in those moments I didn’t score points I also knew that I was [going] in the right direction and especially the last two races before the summer break after I got upgrades, I kind of proved to myself and proved to them that I’m still there.
“Its good that I’m able to show some performance there but at the same time obviously it’s a team, that’s why I need the points and what I need to do for the second half.”
Speculation has continued to grow over the season over who will partner Verstappen at the team next year, with Isack Hadjar a possible option having impressed in his maiden F1 season.
Tsunoda admits that facing such pressures is nothing new, having been part of Red Bull’s driver pool since his F1 debut back in 2021.
“I think it’s the usual story in F1. This situation, those kinds of pressure is part of the world and part of, not sure you can say the beauty, but it is what it is,” he said.
“I just focus on myself. I got used to it with these kind of rumours in the last five years but I understand also at the same time, the second half [of the season] is really important for me as well, so I just keep pushing and put it all together.”
