Red Bull’s second seat Drama: Crofty and Marko have their say

16:02, 04 Jun

Updated: 18:08, 04 Jun

bySienna Ionta

Yuki Tsunoda’s hopes of securing a securing his Red Bull seat for 2026 took another hit in Barcelona, after a frustrating Spanish Grand Prix that saw the Japanese driver start from the pit lane and struggle to 13th place.

Although Red Bull has made it clear Tsunoda will remain with Red Bull until the end of this season, the pressure is mounting. With rising stars like his former teammate Isack Hadjar delivering a string of strong performances and earning praise from figures such as Ralf Schumacher, Tsunoda’s struggles in Spain suggest the pressure and uncertainty surrounding the Red Bull seat may be starting to take a mental toll. If he wants to stay in the conversation, he’ll need to reset quickly — and deliver.

Adding to the conversation, Sky F1 commentator David Croft weighed in on Tsunoda’s struggles in The F1 Show Podcast by Sky Sports, noting that Marko himself suggested the performance in Barcelona wasn’t entirely down to the driver.

"Helmet Marko has come out and suggested that it wasn't all down to Tsunoda and there were issues outside of Yuki's control in this one", Croft said, hinting at technical or strategic factors that may have compromised his race.

Where does Yuki go from here?

Despite Helmut Marko’s suggestion that factors beyond Tsunoda’s control played a role in his underwhelming performance, the Japanese driver finds himself at a crossroads. The Red Bull second seat remains theoretically open for 2026.

Crofty added, "He's a decent driver. I'm sure he can find a solution to his troubles but he needs to find them quick because Red Bull would like to score points. Unless they've given up on the constructors championship already".

Yuki Tsunoda in Red Bull garage in Jeddah - Red Bull content pool

The Red Bull second seat: who can match Max?

Karun Chandhok also contributed to the conversation by discussing the on going issue of the second Red Bull seat, "This is the 7th year we're having the same conversations. That's an awfully long time since Red Bull haven't found a second drier competitive enough to rack up the results an points they need since Riccardo left at the end of 2018."

"It's so bespoke for Max, it's reminiscent of the Schumacher Beneton days"

With Verstappen showing no signs of slowing down, Red Bull’s dilemma isn’t just about who’s fast — it’s about who can thrive and deliver points for the team under this pressure. And as 2026 approaches, the team must look at their options.