Red Bull are now discussing ‘internally’ a major change for 2026 that Yuki Tsunoda desperately needs

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Yuki Tsunoda is at a critical stage of his Formula 1 career as he desperately struggles to find performance at Red Bull.

The Japanese driver was denied a seat at the Milton Keynes outfit at the start of 2025 as Liam Lawson was given the nod to replace Sergio Perez. But he did not have to wait much longer for his opportunity as Tsunoda replaced Lawson two races into the season.

The New Zealander was dropped after failing to reach Q2 and score points in Melbourne and Shanghai. Red Bull felt they could rely on Tsunoda’s experience and the fact that he prefers a sensitive setup to score results.

Initially, things improved as the 25-year-old managed seven points from his first five races. However, Tsunoda has not scored points since Imola, with regular Q1 exits and a lack of pace hampering him and the team.

The Japanese driver’s pace deficit to teammate Max Verstappen is substantial, with Red Bull being taken aback by how much he has struggled. Alarmingly, F2 talent Arvid Lindblad was on the pace of Tsunoda during practice at the British GP, highlighting his troubles.

The RB21 has been a difficult car to drive in 2025, but Verstappen has still been able to extract the maximum and collect wins at Suzuka and Imola. Tsunoda’s struggles with the machine have prompted chatter within Red Bull about what to do for 2026.

Red Bull are discussing ‘internally’ building their two 2026 cars equally rather than prioritising Max Verstappen

It is no secret that the Red Bull car is highly tailored to Verstappen’s driving style. In doing so, he has destroyed his teammates since 2017, who have all struggled to find consistent performances.

The second Red Bull has not scored a podium since Sergio Perez finished third in Shanghai last season, with Tsunoda scoring all seven of the car’s points this year. It is a key reason why the team are already 288 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

Red Bull are beginning to realise that they cannot challenge their rivals for the title with just one car. Journalist Lawrence Barretto says there was internal chatter within the team that they will design the cars equally in 2026, rather than prioritising Verstappen.

“To be fair, I do think that there was chatter over the course of the British Grand Prix weekend about the necessity to do that internally, to not have a car that is designed so heavily towards Max,” he said.

“So we’ll have to wait and see for 2026 and beyond whether or not that is going to be the case. But I think trying to dial that out this year, given the way that teams will be turning their taps off on car development this year, is going to potentially be a step too far.”

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Laurent Mekies is exactly what Yuki Tsunoda needs to save his F1 career

Red Bull’s chatter about addressing the second car is exactly what Tsunoda needs. It is clear that he cannot get accustomed to the car’s setup and desperately needs changes to improve his form.

They cannot come any sooner, as Tsunoda is out of contract at the end of the season and is fighting to stay in F1, let alone Red Bull. He will be aided in the second half of the season by new Red Bull CEO Laurent Mekies, who has replaced Christian Horner following his sacking.

The Frenchman knows the driver well from his time at Racing Bulls and has faith in his ability. F1 fans have begged Mekies to help Tsunoda at Red Bull and he seems to be making a step towards that with the discussions surrounding next year’s car.

The 2026 F1 regulations mark a new era for Red Bull as they become a works team for the first time, and they will need the strongest line-up possible to attack the new rules head-on. Mekies will let Tsunoda finish the 2025 season; he has 12 rounds to save his career.