Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies names second seat priority as Yuki Tsunoda crisis deepens
Now that Max Verstappen has committed his immediate future to Red Bull, new team boss Laurent Mekies has made it his "priority" to get team-mate Yuki Tsunoda firing. The outfit's second seat has been a problem for years now with one driver after another struggling in the Dutchman's shadow.
Daniel Ricciardo was the team leader at Red Bull until Verstappen established himself quickly as a teenager. After the Australian chose to leave at the end of the 2018 campaign, Christian Horner chose to elevate Pierre Gasly to begin what would turn out to be a string of failed appointments.
The Frenchman was demoted after just half a season as he buckled under the pressure. Alex Albon replaced him and lasted 18 months, but he was shown the door at the end of 2020 when the more experienced Sergio Perez became available.
The Mexican won five races with the team and finished second behind Verstappen in the 2023 season, marking Red Bull's first and only one-two championship finish. But he was axed at the end of last year following a winless season in which his form deteriorated badly.
And things have been even worse so far this term. Liam Lawson raced just twice for the team before he was swapped out with Tsunoda, who has managed just 10 points since being elevated into the top Red Bull team after four years at sister outfit Racing Bulls.
His desire to end the first section of the season on a high was not rewarded at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Qualifying has been a real struggle all year and he suffered another Q1 exit, before finishing the race 17th and a long way off the points.
"The priority is to give Yuki what he needs to perform," said Mekies, who replaced Horner last month, of his under-pressure Japanese driver. "That is where, with regards to the second seat, that is where the priority is. It is what the team is concentrated on.
"They have been trying that for a number of races now. We are trying to find ways together to make a further step. You know, Spa was very positive, certainly from that perspective. Here it is a bit of a tricky weekend overall, so it is probably a bit more difficult to judge. But there is no reason why Yuki's performance cannot be what we have seen in the past."
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It is understood Tsunoda is not at risk of being replaced during this season with Red Bull determined to give the 25-year-old all the time they can to make it work. "Our driver evaluation traditionally takes place after the summer break – at the moment, everything is open," said team adviser Helmut Marko.
And the Austrian went on to add that he is encouraged by Tsunoda's progress, even if the points are still not flowing. He said: "He was as near as never before, one-tenth he was behind [Verstappen in Q1 at the Hungaroring]. Unfortunately, he was dropped out in Q1, [but] he is moving up."
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