Did Tsunoda say more than Verstappen & Red Bull want us to believe? – Max Verstappen returned to winning ways with back-to-back victories at Monza on 8 September and Baku on 22 September. Despite the season having been dominated so far by McLaren, the reigning champion showed once again that his speed, race craft and calm execution remain intact. However, with 69 points separating him from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the standings, Verstappen’s hopes of securing a fifth consecutive world title are hanging by a thread.
At Red Bull Racing, the mood is one of cautious realism. While Verstappen’s victories have boosted morale, both the driver and the management are keen to temper expectations. After the chequered flag in Baku, Verstappen refused to speak of a title resurgence.
“Race by race, we’ll get the most out of it and see where we end up,” he said, speaking in his usual blunt manner.
Helmut Marko, never one to shy away from the spotlight, echoed this sentiment, insisting that any talk of a championship comeback must wait until the results from Singapore are in.
However, the clearest signal of intent did not come from Verstappen or Marko. Instead, it came from Yuki Tsunoda, the team’s junior partner, who revealed more than Red Bull would have liked. The Japanese driver admitted that his own driving in Baku had been influenced by the title fight.
“I was thinking about both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, for Max and for the team,” he explained.
“There were plenty of opportunities to attack Liam, but the risk of McLaren overtaking us both was too great.”
In those words lay an unvarnished truth: Red Bull are still playing the long game, and Tsunoda knows he is part of it.
A tale of two battles
The Baku race offered a perfect microcosm of the season so far. Piastri, usually flawless, crashed into the wall twice, demonstrating that even the most precise driver can make mistakes under pressure. Meanwhile, Norris failed to capitalise, struggling to overtake both Liam Lawson and Tsunoda, whose defensive driving was crucial in limiting Red Bull’s losses. For Verstappen, things could hardly have gone better: two rivals were neutralised, he secured a win, and the title gap remained manageable.
The fact that Tsunoda was thinking strategically raises interesting questions. Usually, his job is to race hard, score points and perhaps play the occasional supporting role. However, in Azerbaijan, he admitted to sacrificing personal gain to protect the wider interests of Verstappen and the team. For a driver who has built his reputation on aggression and sharp elbows, this was a significant departure.
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A Red Bull message, delivered by Yuki
One wonders whether Tsunoda’s statement was a spontaneous admission or a subtle piece of team choreography. Red Bull has long mastered the art of controlling narratives. Verstappen sticks to the script with short, clipped answers. Marko plays the curmudgeonly gatekeeper, demanding patience from fans and the media. Then Tsunoda walks in and blurts out the one thing that confirms what everyone suspects: the title fight is still alive in the corridors of Milton Keynes.
Was this the plan? Or did Yuki simply say the quiet part out loud? If so, Christian Horner may be privately sighing as he prepares another round of ‘clarifications’ for the press. Then again, it suits Red Bull to have their fans believing in miracles, and nothing fosters belief more than the prospect of Verstappen, 69 points adrift, fighting his way back into contention with a willing accomplice.
McLaren’s unease
Meanwhile, McLaren cannot ignore the pressure. Their drivers have performed well, but cracks are emerging. Piastri’s brushes with the walls of Baku and Norris’s difficulties overtaking traffic demonstrate that dominance is never absolute. Against the backdrop of Verstappen’s resurgence, even minor errors carry the weight of a potential narrative shift.
If McLaren falter, Verstappen is the only driver in the paddock who is ruthless enough to seize the opportunity. For now, Norris and Piastri still have the luxury of a points cushion, but they can hear the distant roar of the Red Bull closing in. Yuki’s words may have been intended as a reminder to himself, but they will resonate most powerfully in the minds of McLaren strategists.
The theatre of expectation
This is Formula One, where perception matters as much as mathematics. Verstappen, the pragmatic Dutchman, may prefer to play down talk of titles. Marko, ever the old-school disciplinarian, insists on waiting for Singapore.
However, Tsunoda has already changed the narrative. By admitting that he was racing to prioritise Verstappen’s championship hopes, he has opened the door to a narrative in which Red Bull are not only race winners, but also potential title challengers.
Singapore and beyond
The upcoming race in Singapore will be the true litmus test. A victory there would transform Red Bull’s campaign from wishful thinking to genuine momentum. Conversely, a defeat would emphasise that McLaren remain the team to beat in 2025.
Verstappen has previously demonstrated his ability to deliver consecutive wins under immense pressure. Red Bull have also demonstrated through recent upgrades that they can claw back their pace deficit to McLaren, at least on specific tracks. The Constructors’ Championship remains a realistic goal too, especially if Tsunoda continues to act as both a points scorer and a strategic shield.
What happens next will depend not only on Verstappen’s brilliance, but also on McLaren’s composure, and possibly even on Yuki’s willingness to repeat his selfless strategy.
So, did Tsunoda reveal more than Red Bull intended, or was his admission part of a subtle launch of a championship push? Either way, his words have shifted the atmosphere. Verstappen may not want to talk about the title, and Marko may prefer to remain silent, but the Japanese driver has put Red Bull’s ambitions back in the spotlight.
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As the Formula One circus trundled beyond the Ural mountains into Asia, expectations were that McLaren would clinch the constructors’ championship, needing to score just nine points more than Ferrari. Yet the weekend was not to be another papaya celebration as the wheels came off the previously impressive racing team from Woking.
The conditions were indeed most difficult during qualifying as unusually five world class drivers hit the wall causing a record six red flags in the session. Once again Ferrari suffered from strategic muddled thinking as Hamilton complained he was given the wrong tyres for his final runs in Q2 and the car was a lap short on fuel.
To make matters worse it was Charles Leclerc who was the first top driver to misjudge his speed and hit the wall in turn 15, meaning the red cars would start the Grand Prix from their lowest combined position of the season…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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I can’t believe YT’s comments have altered ANYONE’s beliefs/feelings. It ain’t over til the fat lady sings … that’s sport, everywhere!