Tsunoda in crisis: Should Red Bull sign Isack Hadjar now?

(Motorsport-Total.com) - The Austrian Grand Prix clearly demonstrated what Red Bull Racing's future would be like if Max Verstappen were to be without the team. The Dutchman retired for the first time since the 2024 Australian race, having been taken out of the race on the opening lap by Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes. Yuki Tsunoda remained as the only remaining Red Bull driver in the field – but it was a dismal Sunday for him too.
No pace, a collision with Franco Colapinto's Alpine, and many unanswered questions remain from the Japanese driver's race. Data from our technology partner PACETEQ paints a clear picture: Adjusted for strategy, Tsunoda was the slowest driver in the field, with an average gap of 1.46 seconds per lap to Lando Norris at the front.
Anyone who thinks this was just a slip-up is mistaken. A look at the season-to-date average in the team's duel with Verstappen shows that Tsunoda is an average of 1.04 seconds per lap behind the race pace. In qualifying, the gap is smaller at 0.89 seconds on average, but still significant.
Should Red Bull have kept Liam Lawson?Even though Tsunoda is currently in a form crisis and Red Bull is known for acting quickly when necessary, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko emphasized to Sky on Sunday: "It would make no sense at all to change now."
Liam Lawson, who now leads Tsunoda in the drivers' standings after a strong weekend in Spielberg, will be laughing to himself after being kicked out of Red Bull after just two races. But a look at the data reveals: At the start of the season, Lawson was even further behind Verstappen than Tsunoda currently is – an average of 1.49 seconds in qualifying pace and 1.86 seconds per lap in the race.
However, the New Zealander must be credited with only competing in two race weekends – in Australia and China – two tracks he had never driven before. A more meaningful comparison is therefore with Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls. There, Lawson lost around three-tenths of a second on average over the season – despite his successful performance in Spielberg.
Data proves: Perez's expulsion was a mistakeThe decision to favor Tsunoda over Lawson at Red Bull is certainly justified based on the data. But what about Sergio Perez? The Mexican was released from the team after the 2024 season at great expense, despite having a contract in place – with the result that the problems surrounding the second driver have only intensified.
It's worth taking another look at the numbers: Last year, Perez was an average 0.66 seconds behind Verstappen in qualifying, and 0.56 seconds behind in race pace. Figures that Tsunoda and Lawson can only dream of at the moment. In retrospect, the Mexican's performances appear significantly better than perceived at the time.
But what could Perez achieve this season? Consider that the entire Formula 1 field in 2025 will be within 1.33 seconds of qualifying pace and within 1.53 seconds of race pace. Furthermore, Verstappen loses an average of about three-tenths of a second to the McLarens.
Extrapolating this, Perez would find himself with a gap of around eight-tenths to one second to the leader. In qualifying, this would regularly mean an exit in Q2, while in the race he could finish in the middle of the field, but would have little chance against Ferrari and Mercedes. While the results would likely be more stable with Perez, Red Bull's World Championship outcome would change little.
Should Red Bull bring Isack Hadjar into the senior team?Even though Helmut Marko hinted that Yuki Tsunoda will finish the 2025 season, Red Bull knows enough to know that the next personnel change could come sooner than expected. A potential successor, Isack Hadjar, is already in place—and he's been consistently impressive in his rookie season so far.
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But a comparison with the Racing Bulls' duels against Tsunoda and Lawson shows that, extrapolated, Hadjar wouldn't reach the required level to even come close to being a match for Verstappen. He would likely be even a tad slower than the currently struggling Tsunoda – although, of course, that can't be said with absolute certainty. Perhaps Hadjar's more aggressive handling is even better suited to the Red Bull?
The theory that the problems surrounding the second driver could resolve themselves with the new Formula 1 cars starting in 2026 is perhaps just wishful thinking. Since 2019, only Max Verstappen has been able to fully exploit the potential of the Red Bull – Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon already failed under the old regulations. There are no guarantees that the 2026 car will be easier to drive.
A detailed data analysis of the Austrian Grand Prix is available on the Formel1.de YouTube channel . There, data expert Kevin Hermann uses PACETEQ 's OneTiming strategy software to examine, among other things, whether Oscar Piastri could have won the race with a one-stop strategy. He also analyzes the reasons behind Ferrari's recent upturn in form.
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