The Yuki Tsunoda statistic from the Austrian Grand Prix that highlights exactly why his F1 future is now at stake

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Red Bull Racing driver Yuki Tsunoda won’t want to look back at the Austrian Grand Prix too closely.

Yuki Tsunoda was the last classified finisher at the Austrian Grand Prix after another torrid weekend.

He was only two-tenths off Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in the first part of qualifying, but that was the difference between advancing to the next session and being eliminated.

From there, Tsunoda got caught in several tussles, colliding with Lance Stroll before spinning Franco Colapinto’s Alpine.

The 25-year-old picked up front wing damage and a 10-second penalty after hitting Colapinto, and was the only driver who finished two laps behind race winner Lando Norris.

F1 Oversteer understands that Tsunoda is unlikely to be dropped this season, but his future is far from secure beyond the end of the current campaign.

Tsunoda doesn’t have a contract beyond 2025, and one statistic from the race in Austria highlights why he should be worried about the future.

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Red Bull star Yuki Tsunoda was the slowest driver during the Austrian Grand Prix

A report from the German outlet Motorsport Total has provided more details about the race in Austria.

There were several strategies on show at the Red Bull Ring, with most drivers opting to stop twice.

However, Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso nailed a one-stop strategy to finish sixth and seventh, respectively.

The report suggests that Oscar Piastri was 0.02 seconds per lap slower than Norris, while Lawson’s race pace (0.90 seconds per lap slower) was better than George Russell’s (0.95 seconds per lap) when adjusted for strategy.

Alpine had an awful weekend, and Pierre Gasly and Colapinto were the slowest teammates in the race.

However, Tsunoda was 1.46 seconds per lap slower than Norris, making him the slowest driver in the field that completed the race.

Tsunoda’s F1 status is hanging by a thread, and he may be glad that Verstappen wasn’t able to complete the race to highlight just how far off the pace he really was.

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Ted Kravitz jumps to Yuki Tsunoda’s defence at the Austrian Grand Prix

Tsunoda is a talented racing driver, but appears to be the latest victim of Red Bull’s incredibly difficult-to-drive car.

He’s approaching 100 Grand Prix starts, but is yet to finish on the podium and only has one top-three start to his name in qualifying.

It’s not a record that suggests Tsunoda is ever going to be a championship challenger, but his final 12 months at Racing Bulls suggest he should be more than capable of supporting a teammate at a top team.

Ted Kravitz believes Red Bull dropping Tsunoda makes no sense, with the car quite clearly the problem.

However, this nine-race stint has left Tsunoda bereft of confidence, and while the upcoming British Grand Prix is unlikely to be a make-or-break event for the 25-year-old, it’s another opportunity to try and unlock the potential of the RB21.

Helmut Marko appears keen on Isack Hadjar replacing Hadjar next season, with Arvid Lindblad being lined up for a promotion from Formula 2 shortly.

This leaves Tsunoda in a very precarious position, even if his race seat isn’t under immediate threat.