Yuki Tsunoda 'probably the worst' teammate Max Verstappen ever had, claims former F1 champion

Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve feels Yuki Tsunoda is "probably the worst" teammate that Max Verstappen has ever had. The 54-year-old recently shared his thoughts on the Japanese driver following the conclusion of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Villeneuve, who spoke with Vision4sport about the teammates of Verstappen, detailed his thoughts on how the Japanese driver has largely been the most underwhelming of the several drivers he has had.

“Tsunoda is probably the worst of them all so far. A lot of people say it’s unfair that the car is made for Max. But Max might be the only one who actually gives good feedback to the team. So yes, they develop the car, so it gets better and better for him.”

Tsunoda was promoted earlier in the season, specifically ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, to replace Liam Lawson, who had failed to live up to the lofty expectations set for him after the first two races of the season. The former Japanese F4 champion, however, has witnessed his spell at Red Bull Racing unfold in a manner far from what he would have envisioned.

Since being promoted to team up with Max Verstappen, Tsunoda has only recorded points in three races, with his best position finish being the ninth place he achieved at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The 25-year-old is currently on a seven-race pointless run and at the Hungarian Grand Prix endured another forgettable outing, suffering a first-round elimination before finishing the race in 17th place.

Yuki Tsunoda on matching Max Verstappen

During the British Grand Prix weekend, Yuki Tsunoda was quizzed about matching Max Verstappen. The former Racing Bull driver had entered the Silverstone race off the back of four consecutive outings without a points finish, and his conversations about his future had subtly surfaced.

However, quizzed about what it takes to match Verstappen at the Red Bull outfit, Tsunoda, during his press interaction, acknowledged how it largely depended on the driver.

“It depends on the driver, but so far, I haven’t seen anyone who’s been able to adapt to the car immediately. That seems to be a fact. At least on short runs, I feel like I’m heading in the right direction.”

“…I’m confident I can reach the level they expect. That’s what I’m working on. The long runs are where I’m still struggling. I’ve identified some driving styles to try, things I’ve never done before in my Formula 1 career. It’s a learning process. When the conditions change every session, I might take more time to adapt than I did at VCARB, where I could push flat-out from the first lap.”

Since his venture into Formula 1 in 2015, Max Verstappen has boasted a pedigree of largely dominating his teammates. Mexican driver Sergio Perez was axed from the Red Bull team at the end of the 2024 campaign, with the team citing his dip and performance and how far off he was from the four-time world champion as primary factors. Sadly, neither Lawson nor Tsunoda has been able to improve on the performance of the former driver.