Photo: RacePictures.

How Tsunoda’s Mexico GP was sacrificed for Verstappen’s title push

21:23, 02 Nov

Updated: 23:01, 02 Nov

byNorberto Mujica

Before the Mexico City Grand Prix Yuki Tsunoda claimed he was ready to aid teammate Max Verstappen's title chances in any way he could, and that he did, much to his own detriment.

Ahead of the start of the race weekend at the Autodromo Hermano Rodriguez Tsunoda stressed that ranking as high as possible in the order would provide strategic opportunities Red Bull Racing could capitalise on to up Verstappen's chances at nabbing a record-equalling tally of five Drivers' crowns on the trot.

Having qualified P11, which converted into P10 following Sainz' penalty, the Japanese driver could make good on his word, which he did.

With both Red Bull drivers starting on the medium compound, Tsunoda was able to benefit from the opening lap chaos in Mexico to get ahead of Verstappen's championship rival Oscar Piastri. However, with the McLaren driver having started on the soft compound, it only took him until lap 10 to overtake Tsunoda.

Yuki Tsunoda sacrificed his race in Mexico to aid Max Verstappen's title fight. Photo: RacePictures.

After the soft tyre starters between Tsunoda and Verstappen made their first pitstop the pair were able to place themselves P3 and P4 on track with the Dutchman ahead.

However, the Japanese driver's tyres had fallen off a cliff and the performance loss was quite tangible, with Oliver Bearman, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell and Piastri hot on Tsunoda's tail in fresh medium rubber.

Regardless, Tsunoda's race engineer Richard Wood, issued him with key instructions that saw his own bid to finish in the points in Mexico go out the window, as all four drivers posed an undercut threat to Verstappen.

Yuki Tsunoda finished in P11 in Mexico. Photo: RacePictures.

On lap 28 Wood said over the radio: "Okay Yuki so we’re looking to extend at the moment, I’ll keep you updated. So everyone who’s boxed so far onto the medium, they’re going to have a very long stint in it. We want to build the tyre advantage, so we’ll extend."

In the next few laps Tsunoda lost even more ground to Verstappen, attempting to slow the chasing pack behind him. When Bearman completed his move on the Japanese driver on lap 31, the Red Bull engineer motivated his driver saying: "This will help the team." To which Tsunoda answered: "I don’t want to lose time." This plea met Wood's firm response: "Yeah copy, we’re staying out, we’re staying out."

In subsequent laps, Tusnoda would lose out to Antonelli, Russell and ultimately Piastri.

A menace lurking in the background had been brewing: Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto had replicated the Japanese driver's strategy, and with Tsunoda's lost time holding back Piastri's charge, the Brazilian rookie was able to grab the last points-scoring position ahead of Verstappen's teammate, who would ultimately finish in the same spot he qualified in, P11.

Hope for Tsunoda to retain 2026 seat at Red Bull?

The Milton Keynes-based outfit confirmed after the Mexico City Grand Prix that they would be holding off on announcing who their driver line up will be for 2026.

Star rookie Isack Hadjar, who's already been confirmed for next year, is widely perceived as the best option to partner Verstappen at Red Bull next year, potentially leaving Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and rising talent Arvid Lindblad to each make their respective cases to grab the other two F1 seats remaining in the Red Bull family.

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