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Yuki Tsunoda has acknowledged that he would play a crucial role in supporting Max Verstappen’s title bid in the final two race weekends of the 2025 season. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, ahead of the Qatar GP, the Japanese driver admitted that the victory in Las Vegas, coupled with the disqualifications of both McLarens, has completely shifted the mood inside Red Bull Racing.
The penalties in Las Vegas transformed the championship picture. Verstappen now sits 24 points behind leader Lando Norris and level with Oscar Piastri on 266 points, instead of facing a near-insurmountable deficit. Until that result, the reigning world champion had even been debating which race number to use next season, preparing for the possibility of losing the right to run the number 1. He had joked about switching to 69 or even adopting his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s famous number 3.
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With a realistic shot at a fifth title suddenly back on the table, Verstappen admitted that he cannot do it alone. As the second Red Bull driver, Tsunoda has been entrusted with the role of wingman in the championship fight.
While he did not reveal the specifics of the instructions given to him, Yuki Tsunoda made it clear he understood what was expected. He also pointed out that Red Bull still has a chance to finish second in the constructors’ standings, placing even greater emphasis on flawless execution in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Beyond his own efforts, Red Bull can also rely on support from its junior outfit, giving Verstappen additional strategic leverage against the McLarens.
Tsunoda described the atmosphere within the team as a mix of excitement and pressure, excitement at Verstappen’s revived title prospects, and pressure to deliver two of the most important weekends of his career.
Asked by Sportskeeda what Red Bull’s instructions were to him to aid Verstappen in the title, Yuki Tsunoda said:
“No specific instruction yet I mean first of all I um let's see how the qualifying goes and um yeah i think as a that qualifying orders, I think naturally If I'm behind him, I know what I'm exactly not sure you're going to do. Because no way, you know, like, yeah, I mean, as long as the pro I lead, you know, by far, compared to Max, you know, which less likely to happen. So, you know, when I’m driving behind him and driving close to him and McLarens are ideally behind, I know what to do and, yeah, that's what I got to do.”
Asked about the impact of the Las Vegas GP result and title hopes within the team, Yuki Tsunoda said:
“Good. Winning a race already in Vegas is good. Everyone was happy, apart from me, to be honest. Everyone was in a good mood. And I mean, to be honest, the things that the McLaren thing happens, you know, those things that we didn't expect as well. So, you know some bonus on top. So yeah a good mood. But at the same time, I guess we have really more, I don't know, pressure. I don't know, because of these chances, you still have the chance to even be in P2 in team championship. So yeah it's got to be exciting.”
Yuki Tsunoda outlines the changes to his final two weekends of the season to influence his future in the sport
Yuki Tsunoda believes that supporting Max Verstappen’s title bid has effectively reset his responsibilities for the final two race weekends of the 2025 season with Red Bull Racing. The Japanese driver insisted that he has felt no frustration amid ongoing speculation about his future, emphasizing that his approach to the weekend remains largely the same, with the added priority of helping his teammate in the championship fight. He hoped that delivering on both fronts would have a positive influence on how his career trajectory unfolds.
The Las Vegas GP was far from ideal for Tsunoda, with both his qualifying and race outcomes shaped by circumstances beyond his control. He qualified 19th after yellow flags ruined his final push lap, leaving him unable to escape the early stages of qualifying. The race offered little opportunity for recovery, and he was ultimately restricted to P12, with the nature of the circuit and reliance on starting position severely limiting his progress.
Asked if he was frustrated with the performances this season and what he could do to influence the pending decision on his future, Yuki Tsunoda replied:
“Frustrated me? No. Because I knew these things since I don't know, but these stories things started when I, when I really actually started all the season. Not really frustrated. For me the things I have to do is in the same order but different now. Because Max is the championship contender and I definitely want to be in the mix and try to help Max. And I think naturally that will be around the top of the grid and that will be also positive for me as well. So, and that will lead to the, I guess, you know, positive things to the, to my future.
“So, yeah, I mean, definitely, I mean, not frustrated, I knew, I knew that for a long time. And yeah, two races to go and yeah as a driver myself I just want to compete in the best performance of myself. I think it's especially in recent races in Austin oh not Austin, in Vegas I mean I was having the best weekend until everything goes south from qualifying onwards which always to be honest it was not my control. So yeah just keep doing yeah just feel all together.”
Yuki Tsunoda has scored 28 points this season and sits 17th in the standings, a massive 338 points behind teammate Max Verstappen, who is fighting for the title. His primary role over the final two rounds will be to act as Verstappen’s rear-gunner against the McLarens. While Tsunoda hoped that supporting his teammate could reflect positively on his own future, the reality is that speculation continues to grow around Isack Hadjar being lined up to replace him at Red Bull.
With no clarity or security regarding his seat, these last races of 2025 could be Yuki Tsunoda’s final opportunity to rescue his F1 career. Honda’s move to Aston Martin from 2026 has also shut the door on a potential fallback option, as the Silverstone team already has its driver lineup locked in through the end of 2026. Realistically, if Red Bull decides not to retain him, Tsunoda may have to pursue a reserve driver role elsewhere for the 2026 season.
