Guenther Steiner isn’t sure 99-race F1 driver is going to make it to the end of the season, ‘he’s out of there…’

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The Formula 1 driver market has been widely discussed after the British Grand Prix for three key reasons.

Christian Horner being sacked by Red Bull has only increased speculation that Max Verstappen might be leaving at the end of the season.

Mercedes are seriously interested in Verstappen, which raises further questions about George Russell’s future and Red Bull’s next steps.

Cadillac will be the 11th team on the grid in 2026, and the British Grand Prix saw senior personnel from the team on the ground at Silverstone holding talks with various drivers.

Valtteri Bottas has been heavily linked with Cadillac, but he’s also involved in the third big story in the paddock.

Alpine could drop Franco Colapinto very soon if he doesn’t improve his performances, with Bottas a prime candidate to replace the Argentine.

However, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes that another driver is also at risk.

Yuki Tsunoda has had a very tough time at Red Bull ever since his promotion from Racing Bulls after two races.

He’s now told the Japanese driver, who has started 99 Grand Prix, what he needs to do to avoid an early exit this season.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Guenther Steiner thinks Yuki Tsunoda is in serious danger of losing his Red Bull seat

Steiner was speaking about Horner’s exit on The Red Flags Podcast and how it might impact Verstappen’s teammate.

He said: “What does this mean for Yuki Tsunoda?

“Yuki Tsunoda needs to make points. Otherwise, I really think [at the] latest [by the] end of the year, he’s out of there, but it could be before that.

“As much as you guys love, as we love Yuki, because I love him as well, it’s one of these things, but he needs to bring the performance.

“I think this is saying, we let Christian Horner go, we changed Liam Lawson, so it’s one of these things.

“If he doesn’t shape up, he will not be there for a long time anymore.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

What is the state of play for each Red Bull-backed driver in Formula 1 this season?

All four Red Bull-backed drivers face an uncertain future in Formula 1 at the end of this season.

Verstappen’s contract runs until the end of 2028, but that’s not necessarily a guarantee that he’s going to stick around.

There is a get-out clause in Verstappen’s contract that could allow him to explore his options elsewhere in the paddock at the end of the current campaign.

Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar are all entering the final year of their current deals.

Given Honda’s partnership with Red Bull comes to an end after this season, Tsunoda needs to give his current team plenty of reasons to stick by him for 2026 and beyond.

Hadjar is Red Bull’s favoured candidate to replace Tsunoda, but the French rookie is hesitant about whether that’s the best choice for his future.

Lawson faces pressure from Arvid Lindblad in Formula 2, who Red Bull have already helped secure a superlicence and handed him his FP1 debut at Silverstone.

There are so many permutations that new Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies needs to work out sooner rather than later.