“I’m not finding joy in life” – How Yuki Tsunoda’s time at Red Bull F1 left him “drained”

In the lead-up to the 2026 Formula 1 season, Red Bull’s second seat has claimed several victims.

Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson. Each of them faced challenges – and ultimately fell short – in trying to keep pace with teammate Max Verstappen’s performance, regardless of their varying tenures, which often took a toll on their mental well-being.

Perez spent four years alongside Verstappen, while Lawson took the wheel for just two races at the onset of the 2025 season, paving the way for Yuki Tsunoda – who had nearly an entire season to demonstrate his capabilities but found himself at a disadvantage since he had never piloted the RB21 prior to his midseason transition.

Tsunoda encountered difficulties throughout the season and concluded the year in 17th place in the drivers’ standings, while Verstappen, the runner-up, narrowly lost the championship by two points.

On the Beyond The Grid podcast, the Japanese driver candidly discussed how exhausting that experience was, as he endeavored to close the gap to Verstappen – without success.

“Undoubtedly, 2025 was the most challenging year of my career, and I learned a tremendous amount,” Tsunoda remarked.

“I’m the type of person who can reset myself during race weeks after having something I enjoy, like good food. However, I started to truly struggle, particularly in the latter half of the season; somehow, when I returned home, I felt incredibly drained.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

“Usually, I can regain my energy after enjoying something I really like. But I didn’t feel that energy; it never returned, and the races just kept coming and coming.

“I experienced so many ups and downs, and at one point, I realized I wasn’t truly enjoying my life, nor the situation, nor driving Formula 1 as much as I had in my first three years.

“It was a very difficult period, and outside of racing, I tried to address this challenge, asking myself what I could do to improve it. Reflecting on it, I wondered if there was anything beyond just eating that could bring me joy. Normally, it’s my friends, particularly those back in Japan, and... I realized I was quite far from Japan. I hadn’t thought about that since probably my first year in F3.

“This is tough, something I need to tackle myself. I received a lot of support from psychological help, trainers, and various resources, but the race schedule was quite demanding in the latter half, making it a challenging time. Nevertheless, that year gave me the chance to reflect on myself more than any other year.”

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

Tsunoda ultimately lost his position on the grid, as Isack Hadjar ascended to Red Bull and Arvid Lindblad made his F1 debut with Racing Bulls; he became the reserve driver for both teams.

Eventually, Tsunoda made a return to the Italian team after Hadjar sustained a wrist injury during the summer break, with Lawson filling in for the Frenchman at Red Bull, clearing a spot for Tsunoda at Racing Bulls. This allowed the 26-year-old to participate in the last three races, beginning with Zandvoort, and he feels that he has evolved into a better driver following the challenges of 2025.

“I’m not sure I’ll experience as much pressure and struggle as I did in 2025,” he remarked. “So far, everything has come with significant challenges. Somehow, I find enjoyment in those pressure-filled moments and feel quite at ease.

“Getting into a car I’ve never driven, adapting to the spring qualifying format, and with the VCARB team performing well, sitting in P5 in the teams’ championship – there’s not really room for error in the race; you want to earn points. Somehow, I felt okay; I didn’t feel overwhelmed by pressure.”

Will anything in his career ever be as tough as what he faced last year?

“I don’t anticipate that.”