Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull Racing has reflected on the mental impact of his time at the team during the 2025 Formula 1 season. Drivers who have occupied the second seat at Red Bull over the years, such as Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Pérez, and Liam Lawson, have faced many difficulties in matching the performance of their teammate Max Verstappen, which has affected their mental health.
In 2025, Tsunoda was selected to occupy the second seat with the responsibility of proving his worth, even though he had never driven the RB21 before making the switch. He ended up finishing in sixteenth place in the driver standings, while Verstappen finished second in the championship, losing the title by just two points.
In the podcast Beyond The Grid, Tsunoda shared his experience, explaining how the pressure of competing alongside Verstappen was devastating for him. ‘Certainly, 2025 was the hardest year of my career, and I learned a lot of things,’ Tsunoda said. ‘Normally, when I eat well, I can recover between race weekends. But in the second half of the season, I started having a lot of difficulties; when I came home, I felt a great exhaustion.’
‘There were many ups and downs, and at one point I realized that I was not enjoying my life, nor the situation, and I probably was not enjoying driving Formula 1 as much as I had during the first three years,’ he added. Tsunoda explained that his solution was not limited to diet and underwent a deep reflection on what made him happy, acknowledging that he was drifting away from his country, Japan.
After losing his grid place, Isack Hadjar was promoted to Red Bull, while Tsunoda became a reserve driver for the Racing Bulls teams. However, he returned to compete after Hadjar was injured and Lawson replaced Verstappen. Tsunoda participated in three Grands Prix, starting with Zandvoort, and felt that he had improved as a driver thanks to the difficulties of 2025.
Finally, Tsunoda expressed that he does not believe any moment of his career will be as difficult as what he experienced during that year. ‘I don’t know if I will experience as much pressure and struggles as I had in 2025. Now I know I can enjoy these [pressure situations].’
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
