F1 Mid-Season Ranking #18: Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda has finally been given the call-up to the big team, but the Japanese driver has seemingly faltered similarly to those before him in 2025.

Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool

It was announced at the end of the year, despite a post-season test for Red Bull, that Tsunoda would remain at Racing Bulls for 2025 with the then-vacant seat being passed over to Liam Lawson, replacing encumbered Sergio Perez. 

However, after two races and less-than-optimal performances from Liam Lawson, Tsunoda has finally been given the call-up into the senior squad after decent performances in the sister team. 

Red Bull may have been hoping for their latest recruit to put in better performances than his predecessor, but Tsunoda has seemingly been suffering from similar woes to those before him in the second Red Bull. 

Whilst the Japanese driver’s qualifying record at Racing Bulls, for the first two races of 2025, remains even with Isack Hadjar, 1-1 for traditional qualifying and a 1-0 win for sprint qualifying, Tsunoda has been whitewashed by Verstappen at Red Bull on pace alone. 

Embed from Getty Images

As it currently stands, Verstappen has beaten Tsunoda 12-0 for traditional qualifying and 2-0 in sprint qualifying. 

Whereas in the races, Tsunoda has finished ahead of Verstappen, on two separate occasions, once in the race and once in the sprint (Miami). In the overall race head-to-heads, Verstappen leads the way 11-1 (Grand Prix) over Tsunoda, whilst they are tied 1-1 in sprints.

After a mediocre start to Red Bull, Tsunoda’s best races of the season came in Bahrain and Belgium, according to our rankings, where he finished ninth and 12th, respectively. 

In both events, we gave him his highest ranking of 12 points for both events. These were two higher than his closest scores of 10 points, in both Miami for Red Bull and Australia for Racing Bulls. 

2025 Rankings: 

• Australian GP: 10 Points

• Chinese GP: 8 Points

• Japanese GP: 7 Points

• Bahrain GP: 12 Points

• Saudi Arabia GP: 4 Points

• Miami GP: 10 Points

• Imola GP: 1 Point

• Monaco GP: 4 Points

• Spanish GP: 2 Points

• Canadian GP: 8 Points

• Austrian GP: 2 Points

• British GP: 3 Points

• Belgium GP: 12 Points

• Hungarian GP: 2 Points

Total Points: 85 Points

DISCLAIMER: 

As previously confirmed, we rank drivers out of 20 points across each race weekend of the season. The highest performing, or best driver, of the weekend would get a maximum score of 20 points, while each driver below them would be ranked one point less.  

As part of our scoring, Stroll scored one point at the Spanish Grand Prix even though he did not start the race. We decided that if a driver does not start the race, unless they’re replaced, they will automatically score a single point. 

If more than one driver does not start, these points will be handed out in order it is announced i.e. Driver 1 (D1) is announced not to start two hours before the race start, but Driver 2 (D2) is retires on the way to – or on – the grid, D1 will get one point and D2 will get two points.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• F1 Mid-Season Ranking #19: Lance Stroll
• How have AI F1 predictions fared in 2025?
• F1 Mid-Season Driver Rankings #20: Franco Colapinto
• Colapinto distrupts F1 2026 Pirelli Tyre Test on final day
• F1 Mid-Season Driver Rankings #21: Jack Doohan
• All of the F1 Driver Super License penalty points

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.