I drove three F1 races for Red Bull, but Yuki Tsunoda has 'worst performance ever'

Yuki Tsunoda’s performances in Formula 1 this year have come under scathing criticism, with 11-time grand prix starter Robert Doornbos describing him as the “worst” second driver in Red Bull’s history.

Tsunoda has failed to live up to expectations after being promoted to the Milton Keynes outfit from the third round of the season.

While he showed an immediate improvement over the driver originally signed for the seat, Liam Lawson, he has now completed seven race weekends without scoring a single point.

His decline in form has coincided with Red Bull’s own slump in performance, making it harder for the Japanese driver to break inside the top 10.

Red Bull bosses have assured that Tsunoda will hang on to the seat until the end of the year, but the jury is out on whether he will remain in the line-up in 2026, especially with his backer Honda leaving the team and forming a works partnership with Aston Martin.

While Doornbos is satisfied with how Tsunoda previously fared at AlphaTauri/Racing Bulls, he believes the 25-year-old has offered nothing this year that justifies another contract.

“Yuki's performance in the second seat is the worst performance ever in the history of the team - for a second driver,” Doornbos told Motorsport.com Netherlands. "That's a very painful observation.

“I think Yuki is a great guy and I also think that he has shown some really good things in his long F1 career.

“But at Red Bull, what he is doing with that car is far from good. It's just painful for the whole team. He doesn't deserve a seat for 2026. I think he realises that himself."

Despite Tsunoda’s struggles, Doornbos believes Red Bull is better off diverting its resources on developing its new car and engine package for next season, given the scale of the 2026 regulation overhaul. 

“The strange thing is that by 2026, you will naturally have a completely new car,” he said. "So you could say, ‘Let's leave the driver pairing alone and focus purely on the car and the engine, to make sure they work well’.

“Because that's where they'll make a bigger difference than a driver who might be two or three tenths faster than Yuki - if he's even in the Red Bull training team.”

Ex-F1 driver warns against early Isack Hadjar promotion

One of the most impressive newcomers on this year’s grid is Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, who has put together a series of strong performances to emerge as a future star for the energy drinks giant.

But Doornbos believes Hadjar should be given another year to hone his talent at Faenza, rather than risk having his confidence shattered by sharing a garage with four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

“Isack Hadjar is a super talent, a mega qualifying beast. They really have a project for the future there,” said the Dutchman, who contested three F1 races for Red Bull in 2006.

"But please don't put him alongside Max too soon. Because Max eats up all his teammates. So if Hadjar can drive for Racing Bulls for another year in this way, I think he'll be better off. Let me put it this way: I don't think finding another second driver is a top priority for Red Bull Racing right now."