Christian Horner has some sincere advice for Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver is Max Verstappen‘s teammate for the first time this year, and in Horner’s words, has ‘the toughest job in Formula 1’, but he still needs to continue improving if he wants to sit next to the world champion in 2026.
After just two races this season, the definitive word came from Red Bull: Yuki Tsunoda is replacing Liam Lawson. The New Zealander couldn’t make a significant impact during the two opening races, so the Japanese driver was allowed to take his place next to teammate Max Verstappen. However, Tsunoda has not finished higher than ninth place in the Bahrain GP this season, and has only brought in seven points for Red Bull. In comparison, Verstappen has already scored 136 points.
Team boss Christian Horner therefore has some sincere advice for the Japanese driver, should he have the ambition to retain his Red Bull seat next year. “We have to be realistic,” the Brit begins in an interview with BILD. “Only one of our cars is consistently competing for victories. Max still has every chance of winning the driver’s title and Yuki is supporting him as best he can.”
Despite the compliment for the newest Red Bull driver, Horner warns that Tsunoda has not yet done enough to secure the spot next to Max Verstappen for 2026. “Yuki fits in wonderfully with the team,” the team boss continues. “He’s a good guy who makes a valuable contribution in the garage. But if he wants to be considered for the Red Bull seat next year, he will need to continue improving.”
‘The Hardest Job in Formula 1’
However, Horner does sympathize with Tsunoda. According to the Brit, being ‘Max’s teammate’ is currently ‘the hardest job in Formula 1’. “The constant comparisons are tough,” Horner explains. “The psychological impact of competing against the best driver in Formula 1 – perhaps the best of all time – is not to be underestimated. But so far, Yuki is doing well and regularly scoring points.”
