Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull troubles? Pierre Gasly knows ‘stuff that can’t be said’

Watching on as his former team-mate Yuki Tsunoda struggles at Red Bull, Pierre Gasly knows what’s going on, he just “can’t” say it.

Six years on from Gasly’s own struggles at Red Bull, which saw him dropped after 12 races, Tsunoda is the latest recruit finding life at Red Bull more difficult than expected.

Pierre Gasly: I know some stuff that can’t be said

Six years ago, Max Verstappen said farewell to Daniel Ricciardo when the Honey Badger left for Renault and Red Bull, caught on the back foot by his departure, brought in junior driver Gasly.

The Frenchman crashed during pre-season testing and was on the back foot after that, not helped by Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko’s public criticism.

He was dropped by the team back to AlphaTauri, as Red Bull’s second team was known then, before reinventing his career and leaving for Alpine.

For Gasly, those 12 races alongside Verstappen were difficult, as while he scored nine times, he wasn’t able to join his team-mate on the podium.

He became the first driver on a list of five who couldn’t keep up with Verstappen. The latest is Tsunoda.

He stepped into the second RB21 at the Japanese Grand Prix when he replaced Liam Lawson, the Kiwi’s Red Bull career lasting all of two races.

Tsunoda has scored just seven points in his 12 races with the Milton Keynes team, while his team-mate Verstappen has brought in 151 in that same period.

It’s left the Japanese driver fighting for his F1 future.

Red Bull has guaranteed him the rest of the season, but if he doesn’t secure the seat for next year, he could be facing the end of his F1 career.

Red Bull team-mates: F1 2025 head-to-head stats

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It begs the question; what’s going wrong with Red Bull’s cursed second seat?

Verstappen has refuted speculation that it’s because the car is designed to suit his driving style, a claim Red Bull have also rubbished.

Gasly, a good friend of Tsunoda’s after their time together at Red Bull’s second team, says he knows, but he cannot say.

“What’s tricky is my time, a lot of things can’t be said, because you’re a driver, you’re working for a team, and as a professional, you can’t share all the information on the specific situations,” the Alpine driver told RacingNews365.

“Talking with Yuki, I know some stuff that can’t be said, and it’s not easy. It’s not easy to be in this situation.

“You try to do what’s best for the team, and sometimes you get given something to make it work, and sometimes you’re in a situation where, for different reasons, it can’t quite work the way you like.”

All Gasly can do, is support Tsunoda as a friend.

“So, knowing from experience, I just try to chat as a friend and just advise on stuff that may help him,” he said.

“And I think ultimately, it’s up to him and the team to make it work and do the right things for it to work.”

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