Ralf Schumacher predicts the next driver to be axed from F1
Jack Doohan was ousted after just five races and his replacement Franco Colapinto isn't on solid ground either. But another driver outside of Alpine is most at risk, according to Ralf Schumacher.
Ralf Schumacher expects Yuki Tsunoda to lose his seat in Formula 1 on the back of his ongoing struggles with Red Bull.
Tsunoda was promoted to the energy giant’s flagship team from his home race in Japan after its initial hire Liam Lawson struggled to live up to the reputation in Australia and China.
While the move initially appeared to pay off, with Tsunoda scoring points in Bahrain, Miami and Imola, his performance has tailed off more recently, causing concern within the team.
The 25-year-old has now gone four races without scoring points, while he was eliminated in the opening segment of qualifying in Spain, Canada and Austria.
Meanwhile, Lawson secured a career-best sixth-place finish in Spielberg last time to jump ahead of Tsunoda in the drivers’ standings.
Six-time grand prix winner Schumacher believes Tsunoda is at a real risk of losing his drive at Red Bull unless he is able to turn around his performance in coming races.
"He's very, very far away from [Max] Verstappen,” Schumacher told Sky Germany, highlighting the difference between Red Bull’s two drivers.
“To be honest and in a nutshell: If he doesn't get a grip on it in the next races, then he's probably already out of Red Bull.
“But I hope you don't put Isack Hadjar right next to Verstappen and burn him out there. That would be a big mistake. The boy also has great potential.”
While in Lawson’s case, Red Bull gave him another chance by drafting him back at Racing Bulls, Schumacher thinks Tsunoda might completely drop out of its fold next year.
The Japanese driver first stepped up to F1 in 2021 with what was then known as AlphaTauri, with backing from both Red Bull and Honda.
The two companies are parting ways at the end of 2025, with Red Bull starting its own engine programme in partnership with Ford, and Honda signing a works deal with Aston Martin.
British manufacturer Aston already has valid contracts with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso for the start of F1’s new era in 2026, meaning there will be no room for Tsunoda if he is dropped by Red Bull.
“From my point of view, Tsunoda's career is over,” said Schumacher.
“He's just too far away and is now making mistakes.
"For me, there wasn't such a big difference in performance at Racing Bulls compared to Lawson or Hadjar. And at Red Bull, he is now getting a real package.
“I also don't think he will be at the front at Honda for the cockpit at Aston Martin. That's why I would say now that we won't see Tsunoda in Formula 1 at the end of the year.
“The problem is that if you're slow and break things, the team quickly loses patience.”
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Rachit joined the Crash.net team in 2025 with a primary focus on F1 and sportscar racing.
He previously served as a news editor at Motorsport.com, where he played a key role in the day-to-day editorial operations.
