Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull career now hangs by a thread after a disastrous Italian Grand Prix that ended in a humiliating collision with teammate Liam Lawson.
The Japanese driver admitted the chasm to dominant race winner Max Verstappen was widened by the fact the Dutchman had Red Bull’s only upgraded floor. But pundits weren’t buying excuses.
“He simply should have finished in the points with this car – and didn’t. Red Bull has no reason at all to keep him,” blasted former F1 driver Timo Glock on Sky Deutschland, pointing out Verstappen almost lapped his teammate.
Red Bull’s eyes for 2026 already appear fixed on Isack Hadjar, who has impressed at Racing Bulls with a maiden podium. Lawson, meanwhile, has made headlines for all the wrong reasons: clumsy aggression and harsh words from rivals like Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz.
Even Lando Norris was caught muttering “What was he doing?” in the cool-down room as a replay of Lawson’s latest chaos played.
Lawson himself is resigned: “I don’t think about returning to Red Bull Racing anymore. I just hope to get a seat somewhere for 2026.”
And then came the flashpoint. On Sunday at Monza, Lawson and Tsunoda clashed – teammates colliding in front of the world. It left Red Bull’s Helmut Marko incandescent.
“The collision with Lawson from our own team was incredibly stupid,” the 82-year-old fumed. “That seems to have caused even more damage to the car.”
Red Bull is expected to decide its 2026 lineup by October, but Tsunoda’s chances look dead in the water. Glock summed it up: “Where’s the risk? You could put someone else in the car – but the real question is, what driver even wants that?”
