Tsunoda protects his position at Red Bull while Hadjar remains a contender.

      "Let’s wait until I have the same car."

      With Max Verstappen essentially secured at Red Bull for 2026, attention is shifting to identify his next teammate. Yuki Tsunoda, who has moved up from Racing Bulls this year following Liam Lawson’s difficult start alongside Verstappen, acknowledges that the results haven't been ideal but insists there has been evident internal progress. "It’s not ideal without the points, but what definitely helps is that the engineers and the team know that there is clear progress and pace," he mentioned in Budapest.

      He rejected the idea of comparing himself to Verstappen directly. "He extracts performance every round," Tsunoda stated. "I don’t want to make a direct comparison as he has been driving this car for nine years, while I have only just started." Tsunoda also claimed he hasn’t had the same car for the majority of the season, especially not now. "Let’s wait until I have the same car. Until then, we can’t be directly compared," he added.

      Nevertheless, he praised the unexpected upgrade his vehicle received at Spa. "I had a good impression during qualifying and afterwards regarding the improved floor. The race didn’t go as planned, but the pace gave me confidence." If Tsunoda is to be replaced, Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar is a likely option. The Frenchman has garnered Red Bull's attention and acknowledged advisor Dr. Helmut Marko for his continued support. "My season in Formula 2 with Hitech was awful—I thought I’d never reach F1," Hadjar said. "But Helmut believed in me and provided me with a second chance."

      While being self-critical, Hadjar mentions he is learning to accept feedback. "Many people around me have advised me to maintain a more positive attitude because the mechanics and engineers also need the driver’s optimism."