Red Bull's number two driver crisis received another major blow when Yuki Tsunoda crashed heavily during Qualifying for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola today, the Japanese driver lucky to walk away unscathed.
Apart from Max Verstappen, who challenged for pole position but was denied and will start from P2, no driver seems able to tame the Red Bull RB21. Sergio Perez was fired last year; Liam Lawson lasted a couple of races as he, too, could not get a handle on the car. Today, Tsunoda wiped out massively, suggesting only one man can drive the car.
It was a huge crash, caused by Tsunoda taking on too much kerb too aggressively, losing the car and becoming a passenger as it speared into the barriers, barrel-rolled, and came to a rest with three wheels missing and substantial damage.
Interviewed for F1 TV after the session at Imola on Saturday, Tsunoda said: "I'm okay, thankfully. But at the same time, it’s very frustrating to end up like that at such an early stage, and especially in such an unnecessary situation."
Red Bull's number two driver remains unresolved
Asked to describe his weekend until that point, Tsunoda recalled: "It’s been kind of up and down. I mean, in some sessions I felt okay, and then in others, the pace suddenly dropped off a lot. FP3, to be honest, was a bit of a mystery. I wasn’t able to put it all together, and at the same time, the pace was pretty poor. We didn’t know exactly why.
"But we made a small change, and it seemed to feel pretty good through Turn 1, Turn 2, and Turn 3, and then the crash happened immediately after. So yeah, it’s a real shame. I feel like maybe the car was actually there, and I just put myself into the wall with such a stupid mistake," lamented the Japanese driver.
This comes in the wake of Red Bull hyping up Tsunoda's performances as "improved", but the crash proved he hasn't. His raw speed is undeniable, but his consistency and temperament remain suspect. But being Verstappen's teammate - the benchmark for modern Formula 1 drivers - there is nowhere to hide.
Like all the drivers Red Bull have tried in that number two car, Tsunoda is simply no match for his teammate on all fronts. Which means the team is essentially running a one-car operation with Verstappen doing the heavy lifting, while the guy in the number two car does the crashing.
The number two Red Bull driver crisis continues. Today at Imola proved that Tsunoda is clearly not the solution. Isack Hadjar next in the firing line?
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