Frustrated Nico Rosberg says the ‘clock is ticking’ for 15-DNF F1 driver to guarantee their seat on the 2026 grid

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Silly season is upon us and the Formula 1 summer break should be about to spark some life into the 2026 driver market.

There are multiple teams with vacancies for next year, with Mercedes and Cadillac having two openings, and Red Bull and Alpine having one.

The two most coveted opportunities at Mercedes and Red Bull have taken unusually long to fill. An announcement from the Silver Arrows is expected to come soon, following confirmation that Max Verstappen won’t be going anywhere for 2026.

However, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda still has a lot to prove if he wants to remain in the sport to see the 2026 F1 regulations. His promotion to Red Bull has not gone as planned, and he needs to find answers soon.

‘Question marks’ still haunt Tsunoda, but he hasn’t given up on finding improvements from the RB21. He recently managed his best qualifying of the year with seventh at Spa.

After making an extra pit stop in the race, F1 fans accused Red Bull of ‘sabotaging’ Tsunoda. Scoring points at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix could be crucial for his career.

READ MORE: Nico Rosberg spots Yuki Tsunoda change at Red Bull after what he ‘heard’ was his biggest problem under Christian Horner

Nico Rosberg fears the ‘clock is ticking’ for Yuki Tsunoda to save 2026 Red Bull seat

The arrival of new team boss Laurent Mekies, who has worked with him before, will have helped to settle Tsunoda. He started off by making sure that he had new upgrades on his car at Spa.

The Japanese driver now has an equal footing with his teammate to move forward. Red Bull staff have noticed a brilliant change in Tsunoda, and he still has time to prove himself.

However, speaking on Sky Sports F1’s The F1 Show podcast, Nico Rosberg believes that the ‘clock is ticking’ for the 25-year-old to score some serious points.

“That was one of the first good things that Laurent Mekies, the new boss at Red Bull F1 did, was to uplift Yuki Tsunoda’s mood by showing that we really care for you as well, giving him a thumbs up from the pit wall and a smile after qualifying.

“That was really nice to see, but Yuki, the clock is ticking for him. He really needs to start delivering now and get some points on the board. It’s unbelievable that he only has 10 points so far in the world championship. That is unreal, that is so far off from Max Verstappen.”

READ MORE: Fans tell Yuki Tsunoda which team gives him the ‘best hope’ of staying in F1 for 2026 amid growing Red Bull pressure

Why Yuki Tsunoda’s chances of remaining at Red Bull for 2026 are slim

Tsunoda’s ties with Honda were a major part of him getting a Red Bull drive in the first place. Now that their partnership with Red Bull is ending, there’s one less reason for the team to retain him.

Pair that with his below-par performances, and he could be in some big trouble by the end of the year. Honda’s new partner, Aston Martin, doesn’t need a driver.

There’s a serious possibility that there will be no Japanese driver on the Formula 1 grid again in 2026, unless having Mekies and new parts on his car drastically changes the outlook.

Tsunoda’s agent has held a ‘conversation’ with a rival F1 team, but joining them would put him back at square one. He’d be starting completely fresh again.