Formula 1 News: Tsunoda not 'diligent enough' for F1

(GMM) Yuki Tsunoda’s (pictured) Formula 1 career is under intensifying scrutiny, with his former boss Franz Tost warning that the Japanese driver is not doing enough to secure his place at Red Bull.

“Yuki has a lot of natural speed, but maybe that’s the problem,” Tost told Servus TV.

“He’s always delivered impressive performances in the lower classes like Formula 2 and Formula 3. But everything just fell into his lap. Yuki is talented, but he’s not eager and diligent enough to make the most of it.”

Tost said the 25-year-old must show a new and sudden level of commitment if he wants to stay in the senior Red Bull outfit – or even find refuge again in the junior team.

“He needs to study the data day and night to close the gap to Verstappen,” said the retired Austrian. “Whether he still has a future with the team, let alone in Formula 1 at all, is up to him.

“He’ll absolutely have to improve his performance.”

Sky Deutschland pundit Ralf Schumacher was even more blunt: “I can’t imagine there’s room for Yuki Tsunoda.”

22 Yuki Tsunoda, (JAP) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21, Honda, during the Dutch GP, Zandvoort 28-31 August 2025. Formula 1 World championship 2025.

Attention has increasingly shifted to Isack Hadjar, who has impressed with a maiden podium at Zandvoort and another strong drive at Monza on Sunday. Nico Rosberg praised the Frenchman on Sky: “Another fantastic race.”

But 2016 world champion Rosberg also issued a warning about stepping into Verstappen’s shadow. “What if Laurent Mekies calls him on Monday and says, ‘Yuki’s out, you can drive the next race?’ Then he’ll have to say no, right?

“I would refuse 100 percent. In fact, I would say, ‘No, I won’t do it – don’t try to force me.'”

The German pointed to a long list of Verstappen teammates who struggled or lost their seats – Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and now Tsunoda.

“Have you seen how risky that is?” Rosberg asked. “How many careers has Verstappen destroyed?

“Everyone knows what’s going on with Tsunoda – his career is hanging by a thread. And yet at Racing Bulls, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. He wasn’t up against Verstappen at Racing Bulls.”