Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are racing under growing pressure, with one Racing Bulls seat probably opening up for 2026. There has been a wind of rumours that Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad is expected to move up next year, and every race could decide who stays. Lawson’s been close to Hadjar in points this whole time, showing a steady pace even when the car wasn’t behaving right. His consistency has made a cushion for him, suggesting his potential ceiling may already stand higher than Tsunoda’s.
The Red Bull has improved over the summer, but there hasn’t been that big of an improvement in Tsunoda’s performance. Then again, with the fact that the car is basically built for Max, we can’t blame Yuki. Since joining Red Bull, he has gained a total of 19 points and when compared with his teammate’s 281 points, it can be big, big trouble.
What Happened?
Now jumping to the drama, during the United States Grand Prix Qualifying, Tsunoda accused Lawson of blocking him on purpose. Lawson was told on team radio not to give Tsunoda a tow and slowed slightly so that the Japanese driver would pass earlier on the straight. Tsunoda took it as interference. He had a whole rant on the radio mid-race. “He’s always doing something on purpose, and it’s b*******, so it’s him. I don’t care about him, to be honest,” he said after the session. That outburst from Yuki didn’t sit well with fans, some even calling him ‘immature’ or ‘entitled’. I’d say objectively Lawson wasn’t on the racing line so it shouldn’t have been an issue for Yuki.
Image source- Formula1.com
Lawson said he had “absolutely no idea” what Tsunoda meant. “Traffic is always tough around here. We got hit real bad yesterday in sector one. I can’t think where I could have been in front of him, but it’s just one of those things.”
Thirteenth for Tsunoda, right behind Lawson. Not where he wanted to be. And he was also slowed by an Alpine during his run. “Without that, I would have been in Q3. So far, I just can’t have normal Qualifying. It’s really frustrating but it is what it is.”
In my opinion, although not justified, Yuki’s crashout is understandable. Tsunoda’s results have fallen far behind Max Verstappen’s, with a points gap of 281 to 22 across both Red Bull and Racing Bulls stints. Sure, part of it’s on the car being unpredictable earlier this season. But still, that gap’s too big to ignore. With Honda stepping away from Red Bull soon, his position looks uncertain.
Thumbnail image source- (Formula 1)
