Ralf Schumacher has added fuel to the ever-turning Formula 1 driver market by publicly declaring that Yuki Tsunoda is running out of road at Red Bull and could soon find himself out of a seat in the top tier of motorsport.
Schumacher, who won six grands prix in his F1 career, believes that Tsunoda’s recent performances have not been enough to secure his future with Red Bull, let alone with any team on the grid.
Speaking amid another tumultuous week in the F1 paddock, Schumacher pointed to Tsunoda’s poor recent form and increasing competition within Red Bull’s ecosystem.
“He’s very, very far away from Max Verstappen,” Schumacher explained in comments made to Sky Germany, highlighting the sizeable performance gap between Red Bull’s lead driver and the former Racing Bulls pilot.
“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.”
Schumacher’s comments come as several mid-season changes across the grid have left drivers on edge. After Jack Doohan was dropped by Alpine and replaced by Franco Colapinto after only six races, the focus has now shifted to which drivers could be next to lose their spot.
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Tsunoda, who scored early points in Bahrain, Miami, and Imola, has struggled for consistency since and has faced a series of early qualifying exits. Meanwhile, the man he replaced, Liam Lawson, has seized the initiative at Racing Bulls, scoring a best-ever sixth place in Austria and outpacing Tsunoda in the points standings.
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The clock is ticking for Tsunoda as his once-strong backing from both Red Bull and Honda appears to be wavering. Honda’s impending exit from Red Bull to become a works partner for Aston Martin after 2025 further complicates Tsunoda’s prospects, removing a key pillar of support just as he faces a critical juncture in his career.
Schumacher was blunt in his assessment, stating: “From my point of view, Tsunoda’s career is over. He’s just too far away and is now making mistakes.”
He went on to question whether Tsunoda would even be a candidate for a seat with Honda at Aston Martin, where both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso are currently signed for the 2026 season.
“I also don’t think he will be at the front at Honda for the cockpit at Aston Martin,” Schumacher said. “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.”
With few options left on the grid, and with the Red Bull junior roster stacked with emerging talent like Isack Hadjar and Lawson, the pathway for Tsunoda to remain in Formula 1 looks increasingly narrow.
As the driver market continues to heat up ahead of the summer break, the next few races will be crucial for Tsunoda if he hopes to rewrite the story of his F1 career.
