“I wanted to be the best prepared”: Yuki Tsunoda heading into Spa with a mental reset

Red Bull's gamble to promote Yuki Tsunoda to the senior team has proved costly in the first half of the 2025 season, as the Japanese has scored a mere seven points in the past 10 race weekends. With a torrid result at the British GP, the 25-year-old took time off from F1 in the break between the Belgian GP to mentally reset himself and prepare for the double-header before the summer break kicks in.

Tsunoda made his debut in 2021 and made several rookie mistakes in his freshman year. Despite this, the Austrian giant gave him the seat at the Faenza-based squad for a few more years, where the 25-year-old ultimately matured into a respectable midfield driver.

While he was initially snubbed by Liam Lawson for the second Red Bull seat, this decision was later overturned, and gave the Japanese driver a chance to showcase his strength at a top team. However, his shot at the Milton Keynes-based squad has not gone his way so far, as he has scored even fewer points at this stage than his 2024 campaign at the B-team.

Keeping such statistics behind him, Tsunoda is looking to move up the ladder at the Belgian GP, as he said (via F1):

"Spa is a fun circuit and one that could suit us well. The Sprint always makes things tricky but the work and preparation we have done in this off time should set us up nicely. I have spent the time off racing mixed between training very hard and using the break to mentally reset. I wanted to be the best prepared I could be coming into Spa and in better condition, mentally and physically."

Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda has been supported by Honda, which is Red Bull's current engine supplier.

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Honda's connection with Yuki Tsunoda would help him see out the 2025 season with Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda at the qualifying for the 2025 F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain - Source: Getty

While Yuki Tsunoda was initially helped out by the Honda partnership with Red Bull, this contract would run out after the conclusion of the 2025 season. The Austrian giant would then start building its own F1 engines for the 2026 regulations overhaul.

This weakens the case for Tsunoda's longevity at the Milton Keynes-based squad, and speculations have been raised against him being potentially sacked around the summer break. But, Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe asserted that the 25-year-old would at least see out the 2025 championship campaign with Red Bull (via Auto Sport Web):

"First of all, there’s no discussion going on saying yes [that he’ll be replaced during the summer break]. In the first place, in a discussion with Red Bull in March, we had agreed to transfer Yuki to Red Bull."

"I am aware that there are various rumours going around, but I confirmed with the team at Silverstone... basically Yuki will be racing for Red Bull until the end of this season."

The Austrian F1 team sits fourth in the constructors' standings behind McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, as Max Verstappen has brought in the majority of the points for the squad.