Yuki Tsunoda Refuses to be Compared to Max Verstappen: Here's Why
Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda revealed that he does not like to be compared to his teammate, Max Verstappen. Tsunoda joined Red Bull at his home race in Japan this year, and with only a few races in the RB21 F1 car, he said it would not be "fair" to be compared with Verstappen, especially since their cars are different.
Verstappen went down in F1's history books as one of the greatest drivers, given his dominance in the last four years that saw him clinch four championship titles. The 2025 season marks Verstappen's first year in the current ground-effect era, where he isn't leading the championship.
This is due to problems with Red Bull's RB21 that the team is pressed to solve, alongside the tightening of the F1 grid due to consistent regulations. However, because the car is reportedly designed around Verstappen, his teammates have often struggled to match his performance.
In the past year, the Dutch driver has had three teammates who struggled with Red Bull's title challenger. Sergio Perez was ousted after the 2024 season due to performance concerns, while his replacement, Liam Lawson, was demoted to junior F1 team Racing Bulls after the first two rounds of 2025.
Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk to the crowd on the fan stage prior to the Sprint ahead of the...
Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk to the crowd on the fan stage prior to the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 26, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. MoreThe story isn't much different for Tsunoda, who finds it challenging to adapt to the RB21. In the 11 races since his Red Bull promotion, the Japanese driver has scored just seven points and is placed 17th in the Drivers' Standings, while Verstappen is in third place in the championship with 185 points, of which 149 were secured in the last 11 races.
When asked about the performance comparison with Verstappen, Tsunoda admitted that his teammate was the best driver on the grid at present, but refused to be compared with him. He told the media ahead of the Hungarian GP:
"Yeah, he is, I can say, the current best driver on the grid. How he always extracts performance from the [car], consistently, every session, every grand prix, it's very impressive. It's one of the things that you can [not] do very easily, and it seems like he can. He does it very easily.
"But at the same time, I don't think it's just really fair to compare [us], and I don't want [to be] directly compared with him."
Tsunoda highlighted that his car was different from Verstappen's. This is likely due to the different upgrade packages their cars are running on. He added:
"Because of, like I said, he's had nine years in the [Red Bull] car, and I'm just jumping into the car. Let's see if I get exactly the same car.
"Now, at that point, I can compare directly, but until then, I just focus on myself, because I know pretty well I can improve, and I just progress in my way, step by step.
"But a good thing about being with him, he's just able to learn a lot of things very quickly because he's done it. He does a lot of things that I've never done.
"He's always able to kind of be a good reference. I can confirm something when I try something. So, yeah, he's an impressive guy, and definitely I recognise that he's a good driver."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel makes big move to rival team
Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel will leave the team where he became one of the best riders of his generation to join Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe from next season. The 25-year-old Belgian rider informed Soudal Quick-Step that he would not extend his contract, which was due to expire at the end of 2026. The team said on Tuesday it has agreed to release him early. 'After taking some time to consult with our sponsors and partners, the team's ownership and management have decided that it is in the best interest of everyone to agree that Remco can move at the end of the current 2025 season,' Soudal Quick-Step said in a statement. Evenepoel signed with Soudal Quick-Step at a young age after the squad's former manager Patrick Lefevere spotted his immense potential. Under Lefevere's supervision, Evenepoel won prestigious races, including the 2022 Spanish Vuelta, two stages of the Tour de France and two titles at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He finished third at the 2024 Tour de France but withdrew from this year's edition. Widely considered the best time trialist in the world, Evenepoel remains focused on winning more Grand Tours. 'Remco stands for ambition. He doesn't just want to ride — he wants to shape cycling,' said Ralph Denk, the CEO of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe. 'He brings not only exceptional athletic talent but also a remarkable mindset. His determination, professionalism, and relentless drive to succeed are truly inspiring.' Evenepoel's move will strengthen Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, where he will team up with Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz, who finished third in last month's Tour de France. 'Evenepoel's arrival marks more than just a milestone for Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, it is a clear signal,' the team said. 'With renewed confidence and bold ambition, the team is setting its course to become one of the most attractive forces on the international cycling stage in the years to come.' Evenepoel hadn't yet commented Tuesday, though he posted Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe's 'Welcome Remco!' message on his Instagram account. A year ago in Paris, Evenepoel become the first rider to sweep the road race and time trial at the Summer Games.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Liam Lawson Addresses Shocking Result Over Max Verstappen In Hungarian GP
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson finished ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen for the first time at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lawson has been steadily improving with every race weekend, and the progress culminated in the last race before the summer break. Verstappen finished in ninth place after starting the race in seventh due to poor tire wear from the Red Bull car. On the other hand, Lawson finished in P8, wrapping up an impressive four-race stretch for the New Zealander. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing with Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e... Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing with Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on May 18, 2025 in Imola, Italy. More Photo byHe has scored in three out of the last four races and enters the summer break with massive momentum. Lawson was ousted from Red Bull after just two races this season, being moved to Racing Bull, the energy drink team's "junior team" for all intents and purposes. The Kiwi was miles off Verstappen's pace during those two races, making his finishing above the four-time champion all the more notable. "I also saw [during] the first stint of the race, he was very quick at the start," Lawson told the media. "He got me on the first lap, and then I think they struggled more on tyres, so I was kind of hoping it would be the same [later on]. "I knew if I kept him there [behind me] for a few laps, maybe he would start to drop, and I think that's more or less what happened. "It's been a very tough year. I think it's hard to string together a series of good results in F1, and recently it's been good for us but, obviously, we have another whole second half to go, and we need to learn from what's working right now and try and take that forward." After getting brutally swapped to Racing Bulls, it looked sure that Lawson's future in Formula 1 was in jeopardy. He appeared on a similar track to Pierre Gasly, who got promoted to Red Bull from the sister team and ended up getting moved down shortly after. Gasly ended up staying within the Red Bull program with the junior team, but he eventually left for the French squad Alpine. With Lawson's run of success, he could net an opportunity outside of the Red Bull family like Gasly, or potentially stay and earn another chance now that the sporadic Christian Horner is out of Red Bull. Lawson needs to continue delivering, and he appears focused on capitalizing on the momentum. "To be honest, nothing huge has changed other than some small things in the car, and small things to me that have helped get me comfortable in the car," he added. "I think that's been really since Austria that I've felt that comfortable in the car, but the speed has always been there since the start of the season, since we did the switch. "We just had a lot of small things through that first part of the year and the consistency wasn't there, and now it is, but also it's very tough to keep that, so we need to try and focus on keeping that."
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Former F1 CEO Asks Lewis Hamilton to Consider Retirement, Names Replacement
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Former Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone has advised Lewis Hamilton to retire from F1, as he has been racing "forever" and he must now get used to "doing other stuff away from motor racing." Ecclestone also named drivers he would consider as Hamilton's replacement at Ferrari. As F1 enjoys the summer break, one of the highlights from last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix was Hamilton, who started the race in P12 and finished in the same position. The seven-time world champion seemed very low after being knocked out in Q2 during the qualifying session, even going to the point of stating later that he was "useless" and that Ferrari should look for another driver. Since his move to the Maranello-based team early this year, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to his SF-25 F1 car. He has yet to secure a podium finish this season, while his teammate Charles Leclerc has been on the podium five times in the last 14 rounds, with his best finish being P2 in Monaco. Ecclestone believes Hamilton is now tired, given his long stint in the world of motorsports, and has thus advised the Briton to pursue a different path. He told the Daily Mail: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari speaks in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari speaks in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary."Lewis is very talented, was and probably still is. But like a lot of leading sports personalities, when they reach the top, there is only one way to go, and it's not a good direction. It's only down. "They get tired. Lewis is tired. He's been doing what he is doing forever. He needs a rest from it for good, a total reset to do something completely different. He may not think it, but he will soon get used to doing other stuff away from motor racing in retirement. I think he should have done it a while ago." Hamilton reportedly signed a deal with Ferrari that lasts until the end of 2027. Despite his dream of winning his eighth championship with Ferrari, Ecclestone believes Hamilton should take his three-season Ferrari payment and make way for another driver. He added: "The guy is not a cheat. But he would be cheating himself if he goes on. He should stop now. If I were looking after him, I would negotiate with Ferrari immediately and say, 'If you have someone to replace Lewis, he'll step aside'. "If I were Lewis, I would say to Ferrari that I wanted to be paid all my contract, in full. They signed him because they thought he could do a job. 'It isn't working, so I can make way if you want me to, but that's the arrangement'. It could work for both parties." Ecclestone then named rookie drivers Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto as potential replacements for Hamilton, given their performance in 2025 thus far. The 94-year-old former F1 boss said: "If I could steal him, I'd take Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls. He has done super well in his first year and is a great guy. I also rate our friend from Brazil (Bortoleto). He is talented. Both of them are sensible, too."
