Despite being labelled by former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve as the “worst” teammate Max Verstappen has ever had, Yuki Tsunoda remains undeterred.

His recent performances, notably during qualifying sessions, have revealed a shrinking gap to Verstappen’s pace. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, even though Tsunoda was knocked out in Q1, he was only shy of two-tenths of a second behind Verstappen, which speaks volumes about his potential and progress. 

Tsunoda credits the recent introduction of a new floor upgrade to his improved pace, which has helped him achieve a noticeable turnaround in speed, particularly evident at the Spa qualifier. 

“The gap with Max continues to close, it may not feel like we are getting there but on paper we are only one tenth off his pace,” Tsunoda said after the Hungarian race weekend.

The Reality of Race Challenges

The encouraging qualifying figures contrast sharply with Tsunoda’s race outcomes, which have often been hampered by bad luck and technical setbacks.

At Hungary, his weekend was compromised by a damaged front wing after losing his gurney flap halfway through the race, affecting his pace and grip considerably.

Restarting from the pit lane due to his Q1 exit, overtaking proved difficult, and he ultimately finished 17th, well outside the points. 

His best 2025 finishing position remains ninth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, highlighting the uphill battle he faces in regular point-scoring opportunities. Yet, Tsunoda’s resilience and work ethic brighten the picture. Post-race, he committed to intensive simulator work over the summer break to analyze mistakes and prepare for a stronger second half of the season. 

A Complex Picture Behind the Gap

While Tsunoda’s time deficit to Verstappen is narrowing on paper, some insiders caution that this statistic can be misleading. Former Red Bull driver Christian Albers has noted the gap closes notably when the car struggles but widens again when conditions are optimal.

Verstappen himself has struggled this year with car balance and understeer issues, making it easier for Tsunoda to post closer times during tougher tracks or setups. 

Still, the fact remains that Tsunoda shows promise and has taken critical steps toward being a more competitive teammate. Despite scoring points only three times for Red Bull this year, his persistence and ongoing technical improvements suggest he could be gaining valuable experience that primes him for future breakthroughs. 

Tsunoda’s 2025 campaign remains a mixture of progress and setbacks, but his narrowing pace gap with Verstappen is a hopeful indicator of maturation within a highly demanding Formula 1 environment.

As Red Bull tackles development challenges and Verstappen aims to regain top form, all eyes will stay on Tsunoda to see if he can transform these steps forward into consistent race results.