‘DRIVING NEXT TO MAX IS HARD’

Tsunoda surprised by the pressure at Red Bull amid questions over future

- Kimberly Kwek Sports Correspondent

Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda cycling on the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Oct 2. He will be hoping to build on his sixth place from Baku in Singapore. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

(ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM)

Talk is swirling about drivers’ futures as the Formula One season heads into its final stretch, with only seven rounds remaining.

Among those with a question mark hanging over his future is Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, who is out of contract after 2025.

The Japanese, who sits 17th in the drivers’ standings on 20 points, has had a mixed campaign since his promotion from Racing Bulls in March, sparking rumours over who will take Red Bull's second seat next season.

Tsunoda’s former Racing Bulls (RB) teammate Isack Hadjar, who finds himself ninth in the standings amid an impressive rookie season, is a strong contender, but all Tsunoda wants to do is block out the noise and focus on himself.

“It’s something that every driver gets, every team gets, and it’s the thing that you always have in this Formula One environment,” said Tsunoda, 25, in an interview with The Straits Times ahead of the Oct 3-5 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.