The 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has hit again at solutions Yuki Tsunoda has been performing higher in System 1, suggesting Crimson Bull has been “overprotecting” him.
Though he’s down 21-0 to Max Verstappen of their qualifying head-to-head, Tsunoda had one among his finest performances thus far on the Mexico Grand Prix, with ‘simply’ a 0.211s deficit to Crimson Bull’s lead automobile as he went out in Q2.
Within the race, a delayed pitstop geared toward hindering Verstappen’s rivals value Tsunoda a possible ninth place – or a possible high six/seven, the Japanese racer has claimed – with Crimson Bull staff principal Laurent Mekies proudly owning as much as ‘killing just a few factors [Tsunoda] would have scored on benefit’.
“Yuki had his finest weekend in a very long time,” the Frenchman insisted. “We’ve got mentioned that just a few occasions, however it’s true.”
Villeneuve, nonetheless, strongly disagreed with Mekies’ stance on Sky Sports activities’ F1 Present podcast.
“I do not perceive how a staff can say, ‘Oh, he is had a great weekend’. Higher than perhaps different weekends he is had, however is it a great weekend?” he rhetorically contemplated.
“He is nonetheless very far off his team-mate. He isn’t bringing something to the desk both in tempo, factors for the staff, or serving to Max for the championship.
Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Crimson Bull Racing
Photograph by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Photos
“And he has a number of expertise. We have seen the very best of him, he is already on the way in which down, so evidently they’re overprotecting him for some motive.
“However no, you may’t say that was a great weekend. It was perhaps his least unhealthy, however it wasn’t a great weekend.”
As Crimson Bull retains pondering choices to select Verstappen’s team-mate for F1’s new technical period in 2026, Tsunoda’s 5 seasons’ price of expertise doesn’t imply a lot to Villeneuve.
“All of us discuss, in a scenario like this, ‘you want expertise’ – and sure, I agree, however you want good expertise,” the Canadian argued.
“It would not matter if a driver has 20 years of racing. If he wasn’t good or adequate, he nonetheless will not be adequate, and he nonetheless will not make it easier to to grasp the brand new laws. He nonetheless will not make it easier to to develop and take a look at that automobile, so why would you set a recognized amount that you already know shouldn’t be adequate?
“In that case, you may as effectively go for the younger rookie or left-field, take somebody and take an opportunity that may carry new power and a brand new thought course of to the staff. What you have already got, you already know it will not reduce it.”
Present Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar is the favorite to get the second Crimson Bull seat for 2026, following a formidable rookie F1 season that included a podium end at Zandvoort. He at the moment lies tenth within the standings, whereas Tsunoda is down in seventeenth, with 39 factors to twenty-eight.
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