The continued presence of Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull is a “big question mark” for the second half of F1 2025.
That is the claim made by 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve as Formula 1 returns to action this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix, with Tsunoda in desperate need of some momentum after a rough spell at the wheel of the Red Bull RB21.
Yuki Tsunoda: Red Bull seat safe?
Parachuted into the notoriously challenging second Red Bull seat from Round 3 – Liam Lawson having been sent back to Racing Bulls after two poor race weekends – Tsunoda has also struggled to excel, scoring just seven points.
That has seen him fall behind Lawson to 17th in the Drivers’ standings, Villeneuve warning Tsunoda that only an “exceptional” driver is up to the task.
When asked what he is looking out for in the second half of the season Villeneuve told the official F1 website: “How long Yuki Tsunoda will stay at Red Bull is the other big question mark.
“He was pushing so hard to go from the small team to the big team.
“He’s a good driver, but you have to be exceptional… you have to be a Lewis [Hamilton], you have to be a Fernando [Alonso], you have to be a [Oscar] Piastri or a [Lando] Norris.”
Latest F1 2025 head-to-head standings from PlanetF1.com
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
Tsunoda spent four-and-a-bit seasons with Red Bull’s junior F1 team before joining the senior Red Bull squad, and according to engine partner Honda – a backer of Tsunoda – his seat is safe until the end of the season.
“First of all, there’s no discussion going on saying yes [that he’ll be replaced during the summer break],” Honda boss Koji Watanabe told Japanese publication Auto Sport Web.
“In the first place, in a discussion with Red Bull in March, we had agreed to transfer Yuki to Red Bull. So we don’t expect him to be replaced in the summer break.
“I am aware that there are various rumours going around, but I confirmed with the team at Silverstone, where the British Grand Prix was held this time, but basically Yuki will be racing for Red Bull until the end of this season.
“I would like to state clearly that this is the case. I think this is also a sign of Red Bull’s high expectations for Yuki.
“Those expectations remain the same, and I think if we translate them into results somewhere in the second half, the possibilities will expand for the future.”
Tsunoda has not scored points in his last five grands prix, his latest result a 15th at Silverstone in the rain-affected British Grand Prix.
Despite that, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko suggested progress has been made with Tsunoda.
Both Tsunoda and team-mate Max Verstappen were hampered at Silverstone by a low-downforce rear wing after the rain fell.
“Yuki Tsunoda has struggled on some GP weekends,” Marko wrote in his Speedweek column, “but we have already seen an upward trend in England: the gap to Max was smaller in most free practice sessions than before, and he was able to start from eleventh on the grid in England.”
Marko added: “We had intensive discussions with Yuki, he also works with sports psychologists.
“Unfortunately, like Max, he had no chance in the race with this wing.
“But we can feel an improvement in his performance and we are optimistic that this will soon be reflected in points.”
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