Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has warned Yuki Tsunoda may not have a future in Formula 1 if he fails to outperform rookie team-mate Isack Hadjar.
Tsunoda is coming into his fifth season in Red Bull’s sister team – now named Racing Bulls – after Liam Lawson was picked to partner Max Verstappen from 2025.
Although his rise in junior formulae was meteoric and he compared rather favourably to his latest team-mates, which include Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo, the 24-year-old Japanese now needs to ostensibly have the upper hand on Hadjar in order to consolidate his position in the Red Bull family.
“He has to show it himself,” Marko told Motorsport.com. “He has a young, fast team-mate next to him and it's his own future, you know, so he has to motivate himself.
“If he is doing well, then there is a future. If not, then maybe there's no more chance in F1 for him.”
Red Bull’s decision to promote Lawson after the New Zealander was outqualified and outscored by Tsunoda, and despite his modest F1 experience with 11 grands prix starts, might have seemed surprising.
Team chiefs are aware of the added pressure that comes with partnering four-time world champion Verstappen, which Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon and Sergio Perez all struggled to cope with.
In that regard, Tsunoda’s perceived lack of mental stability – exemplified by his numerous radio outbursts – was considered a major weakness in comparison to Lawson. The latter is also seen as having a steeper learning curve, and therefore greater potential.
“The decision was mainly a question of mental strength,” Marko said.
“Around Mexico, Yuki unfortunately had his two accidents, and at the time Liam did very well. So it was more or less looking at all the facts for us [and then at the reasons] why we have chosen Liam.”
If Tsunoda were to be dropped by Red Bull, he might be able to find shelter at Aston Martin, which will be powered by Honda from the 2026 F1 season onwards.
Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe has clarified that Tsunoda is not a Honda driver anymore but remains backed by the Japanese brand.
“Tsunoda has a sponsorship agreement with us,” he said. “He is fundamentally an independent driver, but we support him as a sponsor.”
However, there is no indication there will be space at Aston Martin next year, with Fernando Alonso likely keen to extend his record-breaking F1 career and Lance Stroll enjoying his father Lawrence’s support as team owner.
Furthermore, Honda’s assistance towards the continuation of Tsunoda’s career may prove limited.
“He needs to take action himself,” Watanabe told Motorsport.com. “He’s now in his fifth year, has the ability, and understands the world of F1 well. There’s not much more we can do for him.
“Drivers can't rely on Honda forever. Someone of Tsunoda’s career level needs to think for himself.”
Additional reporting by Kenichi Tanaka & Kan Namekawa
