Red Bull ‘to TERMINATE Tsunoda's contract and considering Brit sensation, 17, to be Verstappen's next team-mate'
But four-time world champion Verstappen could leave himself, with Red Bull desperate for their prized asset to turn down growing interest from Mercedes.
Advertisement
5
Red Bull will reportedly terminate Yuki Tsunoda's contract next season
5
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is back in charge of driver line-ups after Christian Horner's sacking
Tsunoda is set to be a victim of a full circle moment after
The rumour mill said it was former team principal Christian Horner, who was sacked after 20 years this month, who wanted Lawson out so quickly in March.
But it seems Red Bull will keep to the same replacement scheme without Horner at the helm, with Tsunoda, 25,
next
in line for the chop.
Ever since
championship
focus always on Verstappen.
Advertisement
READ MORE F1 NEWS
Tsunoda's has endured a miserable season, scoring scrappy points on just three Grand Prix weekends, contributing just seven of the teams 172 total at the halfway point in the campaign.
According to a
report, the decision has already been made to terminate Tsunoda's contract at the end of the season, although he will remain in place until then.
The Japanese star sits 17th in the drivers standings, is the lowest ranked non-rookie and has gone five rounds without scoring a single point.
Tsunoda's qualifying results have disappointed
in particular, after he
Spain
, P11 in
Canada
, P18 in
Advertisement
Most read in Motorsport
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
In contrast, Verstappen, 27, secured his fourth pole of the season at Silverstone
, but finished fifth behind Lewis Hamilton after skidding off the track in the rain.
With advisor Helmut Marko
back in charge of driver line-ups after Horner
's shock dismissal,
Red Bull
are likely to look inward to their Racing Bulls junior team for their
next
F1 star.
Glamorous TikToker Bianca Bustamante gives behind-the-scenes look at a Formula E race week
One option is going back to Lawson, who has picked himself back up after being removed from his Red Bull seat
, sitting above Tsunoda in the drivers standings.
Advertisement
But Marko, 82, is
reportedly pushing for a new face and wants to promote 20-year-old rookie
rom Racing Bulls
next
season.
Hadjar entered this season as something of a wildcard after his seat came about after the late decision to sack Sergio Perez caused an opening at Racing Bulls.
But
the decision to call him up now looks like a masterstroke, as the French-Algerian youngster sits just outside the top 10 in the drivers standings - with one fewer point than
Lawson and Tsunoda
COMBINED.
5
Racing Bulls star Isack Hadjar is the favourite to replace Tsunoda
Advertisement
5
British F2 driver Arvid Lindblad is also being considered for the second Red Bull seat
But teenage Brit
is also being considered to step up from Formula Two after completing his first free practice session at the British Grand Prix on July 6.
The 17-year-old
has also been undergoing extensive TPC outings behind the scenes as he prepares to follow in Kimi Antonelli's footsteps, speedily climbing up the feeder series ladder.
Lindblad was born in 2007 and raised in Surrey to his Swedish motorcross racing father and Indian mother.
Advertisement
Meanwhile,
Tsunoda will be the latest in a long line of
Red Bull
second-seat victims, following in the footsteps of
Pierre Gasly
,
Alex Albon
,
Sergio Perez
and Lawson.
The
F1
season gets back underway in
Belgium
on July 27, with
5
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Why Owen Farrell doesn't get the credit he deserves
The final midweek game of this Lions series is taking place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. It feels far from a box office occasion, however. This isn't exactly a summer blockbuster The Wallabies didn't make a compelling case last weekend and there is a nagging feeling that Andy Farrell's squad are going to cruise to a series win at a canter in the coming weeks. The tourists shouldn't encounter much resistance against this First Nations and Pasifika XV either. Owen Farrell during a British & Irish Lions captain's run at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Yes, there are some interesting characters in the home ranks. Veteran out-half Kurtley Beale, who played for Australia against Ireland in a 2011 World Cup pool game in Auckland, captains a side featuring powerhouse tighthead Taniela Tupou, who was linked with Leinster last year, and flying Fiji-born wing Filipo Daugunu. Farrell has shuffled his deck entirely for this game. The only players from last weekend's matchday 23 who have been asked to front up again are the English trio of Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith. All three came off the bench in Brisbane and all three are on bench duty again. Farrell has bussed in a clutch of Scottish players to make up the numbers. Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland and Gregor Brown will all feature among the replacements. It's a move which has been meet with fierce criticism. Warren Gatland felt the same heat when he brought in ringers at the tail-end of the 2013 and 2017 tours. Handing out cheap Lions caps etc. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal really. People get way too caught up in all this Lions malarky. Andy Farrell. Pic:There are other interesting talking points such as Jamie Osborne and Tom Clarkson, who have gone from playing international games in Tbillisi and Georgia to running out for the Lions in Melbourne. This young Leinster duo have clocked up a lot of air miles this summer. Farrell is unlikely to make any changes to his Test team this week. This selection is a reflection of that. The frontliners delivered in spades in Week One. They are all likely to get the nod again to finish the job on Saturday. Blair Kinghorn, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock and Garry Ringrose, who is named on the bench, will all feel they have a chance of forcing their way into the matchday squad, particularly after the bench failed to make an impact at Suncorp Stadium. Owen Farrell. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile But the most compelling character to watch will be Owen Farrell. On his fourth Lions tour of duty and his 20th appearance in the iconic red jersey, the 33-year-old will captain the Lions for the very first time. It is due reward for a player of Farrell's talents and standing in the game. We've always found the criticism of the Saracens and England No10 a bit perplexing. Farrell is one of the most decorated players in the history of the English game. He is a Test centurion. A player who spearheaded his country's charge to a World Cup final in 2019 and an unlikely semi-final four years later. He also has three Six Nations and a Grand Slam medal in his trophy cabinet. He was part of a Saracens team which secured three Champions Cup titles and six English Premiership titles as well. And yet this was a player who was booed by his own fans at the 2023 World Cup in France. A player who has been a lightning rod for criticism. Farrell eventually got tired of all the social media scrutiny. He decided to take an indefinite break from international rugby to focus on his mental wellbeing. More power to him. His subsequent move to Racing 92 didn't quite work out, but Farrell's qualities – on and off the field – have never been up for debate. He is just like his father: as tough as they come but decent, hardworking and genuine. A chip off the old block. It made all the furore over his mid-tour call-up all the more mystifying. Many detractors felt it was a token selection. Shameless nepotism. A selection decision which could derail the whole tour and, gasp, Andy Farrell's Lions legacy as coach. We could go on… No, Farrell didn't have the best season in Paris. But this is a proven competitor in the same mould as Ronan O'Gara, Johnny Sexton and Dan Biggar. A narky, relentless competitor who can boss a Test match. A player who relishes the pressure of the position. The Lions, it must said, didn't have a character with those sort of qualities in the final 30 minutes of last weekend's opening Test. Farrell's side were 24-5 to the good early in the second half. They had the foot on Aussie throats but didn't go for the jugular. Instead, they went off the boil, dropped down a few gears and let the overpowered hosts back into the contest. It should have been a record rout. It finished 27-19. Don't be surprised to see Farrell among the replacements when Farrell Snr names his Test squad later this week. It would be a brilliant swansong for such a seriously underrated operator. If Owen Farrell was an Ireland international, he would be an icon in this country. In January of last year, we heard a rumour that Leinster were apparently interesting in landing Farrell's services after he had signalled his intention to quit Test rugby and seeks pastures new abroad. In the end, it proved to be a bit of idle pub chat. Pure gossip. For a moment, it was a transfer which made perfect sense. Imagine how much adrenaline, purpose and sheer tenacity Farrell would have injected into that Leinster setup. You couldn't imagine a better mentor for Sam Prendergast either. You would hope that Farrell Jnr eventually gets the credit he deserves back in his home country. For now, he will focus on leading the Lions through this final midweek assignment. This game is always a notoriously tricky one. Some players have only rocked up this week. Some may have checked out, knowing their Test chances have slipped away. Some may have one eye on the next clash with the Wallabies. Farrell will ensure those standards don't dip. He's always been that kind of player. It's about time he got the credit he deserves.
RTÉ News
11 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Ted Lasso back in the game for season four
Production on season four of the hit comedy Ted Lasso is officially under way in Kansas City, it has been announced. The Apple TV+ series follows an American Football coach, Ted Lasso, played by We're the Millers star Jason Sudeikis, as he tries to manage a British football - "soccer" - team, AFC Richmond. In series three, Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) stepped up as assistant coach alongside coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) while Ted (Sudeikis) dealt with personal issues back home. The fourth instalment will see Ted return to Richmond to coach a second division women's football team. Along with Sudeikis, Game of Thrones star Hannah Waddingham will return to reprise her role as the owner of AFC Richmond, Rebecca Welton, along with Wild Child actress Juno Temple, who plays Keeley Jones. We're not in Richmond anymore. #TedLasso Season 4 is now in production. — Apple TV (@AppleTV) July 21, 2025 Goldstein will also return to the series along with Hunt, Jeremy Swift, and a number of newcomers, including Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, and Faye Marsey. Rex Hayes will also join season four along with rising Irish star Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern, and Grant Feely, who is stepping in as Ted's son, Henry. Sudeikis is one of the executive producers alongside Goldstein, who also serves as a writer. Ted Lasso has received 61 Emmy nominations in total and won 13, with Sudeikis picking up the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award in 2021 and 2022. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly, and Brendan Hunt, and is based on the pre-existing format and characters from NBC Sports.
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Jamie Osborne on Lions call: 'I was in a taxi. We were actually all going to a barber'
It was only 12 days ago that Jamie Osborne was sharing a cab with his Ireland team-mates on a trip to Lisbon barbers when his mobile started buzzing. On Tuesday the centre with eight international caps will pull on the famous red jersey and become a British & Irish Lion, lining up in midfield alongside Owen Farrell and kicking off against the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium. The phone call that changed the 24-year-old's rugby life was from Andy Farrell and it came in the company of Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Darragh Murray and Cian Prendergast. Full-back Blair Kinghorn's knee injury against the Brumbies meant the versatile back was required in Australia and now the pair will line up together in the same backline. 'I think every player dreams of it,' Osborne said in Melbourne, a week after linking up with the Lions in Brisbane. 'I probably didn't have much hopes for it after the initial squad announcement. I wasn't really thinking about it but it was amazing to get the call. 'It was out of the blue. I was just in Lisbon and I got a phone call on Thursday at 11 o'clock and saw his name and thought: 'This is probably good'. 'I was in a taxi. We were actually all going to a barber. There was five of us there so it was good fun. The lads were probably celebrating more than myself. Yeah, it was class.' Nearly two weeks on from that call and the Leinster centre is still on cloud nine having immersed himself into the Lions tour experience, helping to prepare the first Test team prepare for last Saturday's series opener against the Wallabies. 'You're definitely nervous but I think it gets a little easier the older you get but it definitely helped that there's a lot of Irish players and Leinster players in camp, and the coaching staff, most of whom I've worked with before. 'That definitely helps and I would say that I was less nervous than maybe a few of the Scottish lads who have come in recently.' Osborne's versatility in his ability to cover 12 and 13, both wings and full-back has not gone unnoticed and the Naas RFC man has learned to see that adaptability as a positive rather than the alternative. "Wherever it's needed, I'll give it a go. It can feel like a good thing when you're getting picked, and it can feel like a bad thing when you're not. "I suppose it's about turning it into a strength rather than a weakness, and if the time comes when I'm finding myself settling in a position, so be it. "I can really go for that, but at the moment, the versatility is probably a factor as to why I'm here. You can't knock it'. It is no surprise to learn Osborne is determined to enjoy the game against First Nations and Pasifika, armed with the sort of confidence garnered only by having played successful Test rugby with Ireland, beginning last summer with a dream Test debut against the Springboks as Farrell's full-back. 'The week in general, obviously I was probably most nervous I've been that week just because of the occasion. I hadn't played that position in a while. "But when you come through that, definitely you get a bit more confidence. Obviously the following week went well as well, so that probably gave me more confidence. 'Everyone wants to put their best foot forward and win in a Lions jersey, never mind just playing in it. "I want to play to the best of my ability, enjoy it as well. You won't enjoy it as much if you don't play to play as well."
