Ted Kravitz says Laurent Mekies gave a ‘deeply concerning’ answer about Yuki Tsunoda’s F1 future

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Following Isack Hadjar’s maiden podium in F1 at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, further pressure has been mounted on Yuki Tsunoda as his struggles at Red Bull Racing continue to materialise.

Tsunoda has had a torrid time in getting used to the machinery from the leading Red Bull outfit, having scored just 12 points in the same period that teammate Max Verstappen has managed 169.

The possibility of him losing his seat to Hadjar is becoming increasingly likely as the rounds pass by. The Frenchman is impressing higher-ups at Red Bull, whilst Tsunoda is disappointing them.

Racing Bulls are powerless in being able to keep hold of Hadjar if Red Bull are set on promoting the youngster to partner the four-time world champion. Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer joked that the only way he would be able to keep him is by handcuffing him.

Speaking as part of Sky Sports F1’s coverage of FP2 at the Italian Grand Prix, Ted Kravitz interrupted David Croft to share an update that he had received from Laurent Mekies regarding the future of Tsunoda, not just at Red Bull, but in F1 as a whole.

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

Ted Kravitz had a ‘deeply concerning’ update from Laurent Mekies regarding Yuki Tsunoda’s future in F1

“It’s emerged that Yuki is really under some intense pressure, not only to stay a Red Bull racing driver, I think we all knew that, that’s self-evident and obvious, but actually to stay a Red Bull driver at all, whether he goes back to Racing Bulls,” Kravitz revealed.

“I asked Laurent Mekies, the boss, about it and gave him two chances to confirm that if Yuki was subbed and Hadjar came in as Max Verstappen’s teammate either towards the end of this year or for 2026, would Yuki drop down to Racing Bulls?

“In neither of those opportunities could Mekies say, yes, he will. He refused to and couldn’t confirm that.”

After Mekies’ words were broadcast to viewers of Sky Sports F1’s coverage, Kravitz went on to explain why the update was concerning for fans of the Japanese driver.

“It is deeply concerning if you’re a supporter of Yuki and think that he’s been dealt the hand that no one wants, which is being Max Verstappen’s teammate in a car that’s not easy to drive,” Kravitz said.

“And the proof is how many times we said that it’s the car and it’s not the driver. Lawson is doing well now, going back down to Racing Bulls.

“Hadjar clearly is a man on the rise, and F1’s a fashion business, I think we’re all thinking that he’s probably going to be in the Red Bull Racing driver’s seat alongside Verstappen next year. But that doesn’t mean you have to kick Yuki out completely.”

F1 insiders believe Red Bull is delaying Hadjar’s promotion to the team in order to protect Tsunoda. This is one of the reasons that the Austrian constructor hasn’t opted to move the Frenchman up to Red Bull in 2025, and will likely wait until 2026 to make a move for him.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies

What did Laurent Mekies say to Ted Kravitz about Yuki Tsunoda’s place at Red Bull?

In the media pen, Kravitz bluntly asked Mekies if Hadjar would be a Red Bull driver in 2026, to which the Frenchman replied, “We have made it no secret. We have time. We feel we have time to make the decisions. We are looking, with a great smile, at Isack’s progress.

“I think it’s been outstanding, but what we have been saying is that Yuki has been able to take a significant step in the last three races. We have a lookout on our side, so there is no need to rush us.”

The Sky Sports F1 pundit pushed the Red Bull CEO and team principal for an answer, but Mekies was adamant on staying tight-lipped, which was extremely telling regarding the 25-year-old’s future in F1. After a quick back and forth, Kravitz asked Mekies, “So you can’t say that he will stay?”

To which Mekies replied, “If you’re talking about the two teams, I can only talk about Oracle Red Bull Racing. But I’m quite confident that for both teams, why would you make a decision now in one way or another?

“We have the cards, we’ll give our drivers in both teams quite a few more races to show what they can show us.”

The Japanese driver is a fan favourite in the sport. He proved his capability of racing amongst the best drivers in the world during his time with Racing Bulls, and F1 fans are keen to see Tsunoda take his maiden podium.