Yuki Tsunoda explains why he doesn't want to compare himself to Max Verstappen right now

Red Bull Racing's Yuki Tsunoda feels it is unfair to compare his performance to that of Max Verstappen under the current circumstances. There has been a major gap between the two drivers so far in terms of on-track performance and points.

The team signed Tsunoda right before the third round of the 2025 F1 season after Liam Lawson failed to perform well. However, Tsunoda didn't impress right away, either. His best result so far has been a P9, and he has mostly finished out of the top 10.

His performance has also been compared to that of Max Verstappen's, considering the latter has been consistently finishing within the top five, carrying the team in the Constructors' Championship with a possible contention for the Drivers' title.

However, Yuki Tsunoda feels that his comparison with Verstappen isn't fair. He mentioned that not only has the Dutchman been with the team for the past nine years, but he also has a slightly different car.

"You know, how he [Verstappen] always extracts performance consistently every session, every grand prix, is very impressive. It's not things that you can do very easily. And it seems like he can. It looks like he does it very easily," Tsunoda said.

He added:

"But at the same time, I just don't think it's fair to compare. And I don't want to directly compare with him because he's been here nine years in that car and I'm just jumping into the car. And also, I'm not – well, let's see if I get exactly the same car. Until that point, I can't compare directly."

This is the first time since 2021 that Max Verstappen is not a strong contender for the World Championship. The car's performance has had a major decline compared to its competitors. This has resulted in rumors of Verstappen potentially leaving the team in the future, but he recently cleared the air.

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Max Verstappen reassures his stance with Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen during the 2025 Formula 1 season (Getty Images)

Reports had earlier claimed that Mercedes was in contact with Max Verstappen to drive for them in the 2026 season. Although the Dutchman has a contract with RBR till the 2028 season, he could've made the switch with the activation of an exit clause.

Rumors floated around the paddock for a long time; however, Verstappen has now cleared them up. Speaking to the media in Hungary, he assured that he will be staying with RBR in the future.

"I think it's time to basically stop all the rumors. For me it's always been quite clear that I was staying anyway. I think that was also the general feeling in the team," Verstappen said.

Despite the car's form, Verstappen has managed to clinch two race wins this season, along with three other podium finishes. This has kept him in contention for the title in third place in the championship standings.

Edited by Gunaditya Tripathi