Mekies says Tsunoda still deserves a proper chance

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies believes Yuki Tsunoda has done enough to deserve another full-time Formula 1 drive after being pushed out of the race seat at the end of last season.

Tsunoda was moved into reserve driver duties after a difficult 2025 campaign in which he collected just 30 points across 22 grands prix for Red Bull. That left him 17th in the championship, while team-mate Max Verstappen finished second. Not exactly the kind of comparison that tends to help a driver keep his desk.

Red Bull then handed Tsunoda’s seat to Isack Hadjar, who had impressed in his rookie year with sister team Racing Bulls and even claimed a podium at Zandvoort.

Mekies, however, said Tsunoda remains good enough to merit another chance somewhere on the grid.

“Yuki is doing a great job with us, not only as a reserve driver, but also as a simulator driver,” Mekies said on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“It's great to have somebody that has such deep, recent experience of the car that can help us behind the scenes. Of course, we wish for him that there is an opportunity that comes soon because racing drivers are meant to race. And that's what we wish for Yuki.”

He added that Red Bull knows it has not been strong enough with its second car in recent years and is trying to improve that area day by day.

“We are conscious that we haven't been as strong as we would have liked in the past in terms of the second-car performance at Red Bull Racing and it's something we are taking the learnings, we are trying to improve day after day,” he said.

“It's fair to say that Yuki has shown significant speed in the past and we wish for him that another opportunity comes along the way.”

Hadjar is making the other half of the decision harder

A return to a Red Bull race seat looks unlikely for Tsunoda, though. Hadjar has made a strong start in his first three grands prix alongside Verstappen, despite what remains, as ever, a demanding Red Bull car.

The French rookie’s standout result so far came in Melbourne, where he qualified third on debut. He also scored points in China and outqualified Verstappen at Suzuka, something Tsunoda never managed in the seat.

Before the Japanese Grand Prix, Mekies praised Hadjar’s approach and level of commitment.

“Isack is in a great place right now,” Mekies said. “He has done, I think, everything he could have done to maximise his integration with the team.

“He moved to London in the early days of January. He's at the factory every other day. He spends as much time as he can in the simulator, trying to understand all the engineering parts around the car. He has been as keen as you can be.”

Mekies said Hadjar even flew back and forth between the two Bahrain tests to spend more time on the simulator, which is a level of dedication Red Bull clearly appreciates, even if it is also, inconveniently, the kind of thing drivers are supposed to do for a living.

“I think he even flew back between the two Bahrain tests just to try more stuff on the simulators and flew back to Bahrain. So, credit to him for the level of commitment,” Mekies said.

He also argued that Hadjar’s effort should not be mistaken for overexertion.

“But the truth is, he's not making an effort, that’s what he loves to do. He has been living, dreaming about that moment for a long time, and for him, it's his dream.”

Mekies said the early results suggest Hadjar is adapting well and expects more progress as the season develops.

“He has been able to show the right speed straight away. I'm sure he will remember his first qualifying with us with a P3 in Melbourne, and it's a long season that will be up and down,” he said.

“We believe drivers make steps and we expect steps from Isack this year and we think he has all the right talents and all the right approach to be able to make these steps.”