Yuki Tsunoda’s ‘good for me’ admission as Red Bull prospects assessed
Yuki Tsunoda was pleased with his season-best P6 finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The transition to Red Bull Racing hasn’t been an easy one for Yuki Tsunoda, in large part thanks to the challenging nature of the team’s RB21. But in securing his season-best finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Japanese driver has admitted to “unlocking” the potential that has seemed out of his grasp.
That was “good for me,” he told media; the hard work he’s been putting in is paying off, and it suggests a potential future where Tsunoda remains at Red Bull Racing.
Yuki Tsunoda: Baku “good for me” in terms of Red Bull future
The fickle tides of Formula 1 caught out many drivers during the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: We saw championship contenders in the wall, gusts of wind upsetting multi-million dollar machines, and countless well-intentioned narratives thrown out the window in favor of the unpredictable realities of racing.
There were several drivers who were able to meet that challenge head on, who took what Baku City Circuit had to offer in order to transform it into a weekend to be proud of. And Yuki Tsunoda was one such driver.
Tsunoda’s Formula 1 career has been an interesting one. A Red Bull-backed driver whose true affiliations rest more with Honda than the team itself, Tsunoda’s future with the team has looked shaky as it transitions to Ford-backed power for 2026. Yet the ranks of the Red Bull Junior Program have grown thin, and three of the outfit’s four F1 seats remain unfilled.
More 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix analysis:
👉 Winners and losers from the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
👉 Azerbaijan GP conclusions: Piastri SOS, Lando’s big problem, Max’s post-Horner wavelength
Team special advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that Red Bull is looking to solidify driver lineups around the Mexico City Grand Prix, lighting the flame beneath Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar.
Following a floor upgrade at the Italian Grand Prix, Tsunoda has been able to rise to the task, giving him a season-best sixth-place finish that he credits the team’s upgraded components — and his dedication — with giving him.
“Definitely, I unlocked something [in Monza], which I proved in FP2 and long-runs as well,” Tsunoda told journalists after the conclusion of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“I just started, kind of, this approach and obviously quality is not on a level that probably Max is doing now.
“But step by step. I think [I] was not at least as far [behind] as I had been in the previous race week. So definitely positive.
“I think also it shows some improvement for myself, that I put some effort over the weeks to put in extra work, to do some extra simulator work. And I think that pays off for a little bit. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”
At Baku, Tsunoda masterfully defended against the threat of an overtake from championship leader Lando Norris and stablemate Lawson, both of whom trailed him in the closing stages of the race. While Lawson was able to get by, Tsunoda held firm against Norris.
“It was not easy,” Tsunoda admitted.
“Very low deg for the hard [tyre], but at the same time, the medium compound I had was the used tyre from qualifying, and it overheats quite quickly.
“[Wasn’t] able to overtake, which is a shame, but at the same time, it was tricky. I can’t obviously do some aggressive maneuver and lose position to Lando or both cars, which will hurt a lot for Red Bull as a team, [letting] McLaren ahead.
“The most important thing is be ahead of McLaren, and the two cars were in front, which I think is the most important thing for the Red Bull family.
“So I think obviously I had a lot of emotions, that I want to overtake and do some hero stuff in overtaking.”
He admitted that he likely had opportunities to “do a dive bomb” on the inside of Lawson to advance a position, but the nature of the Baku street circuit loaded that option with pitfalls that could have allowed Norris to squeeze into P6.
“It’s good for me, finishing P6 and not letting Lando in front of me,” Tsunoda admitted. “I think I did the right thing.”
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