Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson note on what they have to do to retain their Red Bull F1 contracts, as Isack Hadjar notes of relief without any pressure.
After a solid finish in Baku, Tsunoda has some confidence going into the rest of the F1 season, but it is still not 100% that Red Bull will retain him alongside Max Verstappen. He has about two to three races more to showcase his worth, but things are changing around him quickly.
McLaren ended contract with youngster Alex Dunne, who is being linked to a Red Bull deal. They already have Arvid Lindblad, who is touted to make the F1 step. And so, results or not, it won’t be plain sailing for Tsunoda. The Japanese driver sees a step in the right direction, but it could be too late.
“Yeah, I mean, the Red Bull…Yeah, I didn’t talk with Helmut really or even Red Bull anyone,” said Tsunoda to media. “But yeah, for me, it’s clear. Well, the thing I have to do is quite clear. I’ve just shown just, those things. I guess one race so far, at least. Well, especially a good one like P6. But so far, at least, as soon as I came here for the second half of the season, I think Q3 is there, points is there.
“So, at least in the right direction. So I’m showing, at least, that I’m able to improve from the first half of the season, much more than I did. So yeah, I’ll just keep what I’m doing. I think, obviously, I want to have more. But I think those things will come with my efforts and also how much I can put it all together more. But I think confidence and, yeah, I think understanding about the car, those things, it starts getting better and better.
“I just have to put it all together. But I think, yeah, definitely in the right direction. And what I got in that race was slightly a bit different to others, which for me, other races were a bit more coming from sometimes luck or whatever. But I feel like that race, I just got that P6 without any, I would say, luck or anything. So that’s good,” summed up Tsunoda.
Much like the Japanese driver, Visa Cash App RB’s Lawson didn’t get any calls as well from Helmut Marko after his best result in Baku. The Kiwi should be safe if Hadjar steps up to replace Tsunoda, because it will be Lindblad to fill the Frenchman’s place in 2026.
But with Dunne’s situation, Lawson could be in trouble. The Kiwi would like to know his fate soon, but he knows he has to wait. “No, normally the phone calls are after the bad ones,” he said to media. “So I haven’t heard much, but I think it’s clear for all of us. We’ve obviously done this a long time and we’re well aware that we need to have good performances to stay in the sport.
“And that’s honestly what I’m focused on at the moment. So, Baku was great, but obviously we need more of that going through the next few races. I’d love to know tomorrow [about my future], honestly. But obviously in this camp it’s very normal to be left on hold a little bit. And that’s how it is at the moment. I know the only thing that has control over that is my performance in the car.
“So until I have that answer I think that’s just what I’m focused on. It’s just, it’s nothing in particular other than just scoring points, having good races I think. The main thing is for us scoring points, we’re fighting for P6 in the Constructors, and that’s from a team focus, that’s what we’re very focused on. And if we achieve that, naturally that means that I’ve probably done my job.
“And from a wider perspective that’s probably the goal for me, it’s just every time I get in the car, trying to get the most out of it and score the most amount of points I can,” summed up Lawson, who reckons the only time there is security in F1 is when they are performing, irrespective of pressure, especially in the Red Bull programme where the competition is high.
“No, honestly, I think unless you’re on multi-year contracts, and even then I think Formula 1 contracts, any contracts, at the end of the day can be made to be broken in a way,” continued Lawson. “So at the end of the day, the only time you’re secure is when you’re performing. And I don’t think there’s many drivers, apart from some of the top guys, that are going to feel completely secure in the sport.
“But it’s not really a new feeling in any way, it’s something that we are very used to. It’s something that we are, especially in the Red Bull programme, we’re sort of introduced to at a very young age, knowing that the only way you step up through the ladder is by performing and you have that pressure all the time. So it’s on a bigger scale, but it’s the same thing.”
While Tsunoda and Lawson talk pressure, Hadjar is relaxed. The Frenchman will be part of Visa Cash App RB in 2026 if not Red Bull. For the first time in his career, he doesn’t have to think deep about his future. Yes, there is pressure still to deliver good results, but it is different kind of pressure.
“It’s a good position to be in, but at the same time my whole career I’ve been used to having to chase until the very final race—every championship I’ve been in—to try and prove and go up the ranks,” said Hadjar. “It’s a new place to be, but it definitely takes out a bit of pressure. If anything, I always enjoy the pressure. I feel like it’s when I’m delivering at my best level. Let’s see how I handle the last few races, but I’m always going to push very hard and take risks.”
Here’s Max Verstappen and others on GT3 run
Here’s news on Alex Dunne
Here’s last from Yuki Tsunoda and VCARB drivers plus bosses