Mekies Slams Tsunoda’s “Shocking” Start in Singapore as Red Bull Future Hangs in the Balance

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies didn’t mince words when describing Yuki Tsunoda’s start at the Singapore Grand Prix, calling it “shocking.” The Japanese driver himself went even further, labelling it the “worst start” of his life after a difficult weekend under the lights at Marina Bay.

Tsunoda finished a disappointing 12th, behind Racing Bulls Isack Hadjar, who was managing a power unit issue that reportedly cost him around four-tenths of a second per lap. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen finished second behind race winner George Russell, underlining the performance gap within the Red Bull family.

The result is a blow to Tsunoda’s hopes of securing his place on the Formula 1 grid for 2026. Red Bull’s driver pool remains crowded, with Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, and Alex Dunne all vying for limited seats across Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.

“Yeah, you’re right, it was not a good Saturday for Yuki,” Mekies admitted when assessing the weekend. “On Friday, I was satisfied with the work he did, it didn’t look spectacular on paper, but lap by lap it was at the right level. Then Saturday was poor, and we need to work with him to understand what went wrong.”

The race itself began disastrously for Tsunoda, who fell from his starting position to 18th after a sluggish getaway and contact in the opening lap.

“Today, the first lap was certainly shocking,” Mekies continued. “But from that point onward, I think he drove a very decent race.”

Despite recovering several positions, Tsunoda’s struggles in Singapore came at a critical time. With Red Bull evaluating its 2026 line-up and younger drivers closing in, the 25-year-old faces mounting pressure to deliver consistent results in the final races of the season.

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