Red Bull F1 driver sent dire warning after Austrian Grand Prix disaster

Max Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull, FIA, Imola, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Red Bull driver sent dire warning after Austrian Grand Prix disaster

The Japanese racer finished 16th at the Red Bull Ring last weekend

By Kevin McKenna.

Wednesday 2 July 2025 03:00

Yuki Tsunoda has been sent a stark warning by his boss, Red Bull chief Christian Horner.

The Japanese star had a dismal weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, qualifying just 18th on the grid before finishing 16th and last of all the drivers to make it to the end of the race.

A late collision with Alpine's Franco Colapinto was enough to earn him a 10-second time penalty, while the addition of two points on his FIA Super Licence further compounded his misery.

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Tsunoda - not for the first time this season - cut a dejected figure post-race as he searched for an explanation behind his struggles, and while Horner has some sympathy for him, insisted that he must improve.

“We need to understand with Yuki what’s gone wrong [this weekend],” he told F1 TV. “FP1 and FP2, certainly FP2 and FP3, he was looking okay. Qualifying it seemed to fall apart for him.

"It's a car that’s evolved over the years around the development path that we’ve taken. It isn’t an easy car to drive, but it’s not that difficult either. We’ll work with him and hopefully it’ll make a step up in Silverstone.”

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Tsunoda was drafted in after just two grands prix in 2025 to replace Liam Lawson, who had taken over from Sergio Perez.

But despite a promising start, points have been hard to come by, with just seven accumulated in nine outings to date.

Much has been made of the unenviable task which faces Red Bull drivers not named Max Verstappen - who crashed out on the opening lap in Spielberg - and Tsunoda is the latest to fall short of expectations.

With his long-term career at Red Bull hanging by a thread, he goes into this weekend's British GP under real pressure to show that he is deserving of his seat.

Red Bull Christian Horner Yuki Tsunoda Alpine Franco Colapinto