Max Verstappen could inflict one embarrassing stat on Yuki Tsunoda after Formula 1’s summer break

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Max Verstappen would be forgiven for having lost all hope of winning a fifth consecutive Formula 1 championship in 2025 at the summer break.

The Dutchman trails Oscar Piastri by 97 points and is in a Red Bull car that won’t receive many more upgrades this year.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit’s lack of effective developments have hurt their charge, and left them focusing on the 2026 F1 regulations already.

Fortunately, despite rumours suggesting otherwise, Verstappen is still convinced in their project and is eager to get to work on next year’s car. Big changes await the sport.

Verstappen was called out for a ‘harsh’ Red Bull claim in Hungary just a few weeks ago, as he insisted that his team would not win a race again this season.

After topping the Formula 1 upgrade chart over the last 29 events, Red Bull aren’t ‘capable’ of meeting a Verstappen demand. Their improvements lack effectiveness.

READ MORE: Red Bull still haven’t seen the biggest consequence of losing Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen should be worried

Max Verstappen could inflict one embarrassing stat on Yuki Tsunoda after Formula 1’s summer break

One Red Bull chief is under ‘mounting’ pressure amid their struggles, with technical director Pierre Wache’s work coming under fire.

With Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull struggles continuing, the second RB21 seat looks to be one of the most difficult cockpits on the grid to be in currently.

In fact, over the last seven races, Tsunoda has finished a lap down on the leader six times. That’s in a car which has won two races this season.

Across his entire career, including at Toro Rosso, Verstappen has suffered that fate just seven times. When the sport returns after the summer break at Zandvoort, Tsunoda could match his teammate’s entire streak within the last eight races.

What a scene it would be for Verstappen at his home race to inflict such a painful statistic on his teammate, who has been dealt an unfair hand in 2025.

Without a contract for 2026, it leaves Tsunoda in a vulnerable position in the Formula 1 driver market. There are few openings, and he needs to start delivering some strong showings.

READ MORE: Red Bull told ‘wrong’ simulator setup caused Max Verstappen’s woes at the Hungarian Grand Prix

What fundamental issues does Max Verstappen face with Red Bull’s 2025 Formula 1 car?

Verstappen is currently on his longest streak without a podium since the start of the 2018 season. That was the last year his team were powered by Renault engines.

It shows how much their struggles have heightened recently, with the likes of McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all doing a better job at bringing effective developments.

As a four-time champion, his task is to rally his team together, keep morale high, and really zone in on some of their car issues.

Verstappen has ‘fundamental issues’ with Red Bull’s car, and the Hungarian Grand Prix exposed them. Focusing on 2026 is a wise bet, while accepting that the final 10 races of this campaign will be tough.