Yuki Tsunoda has been given a clear deadline by Red Bull Racing to prove he deserves to partner Max Verstappen in 2026.
It's been a difficult time for the 25-year-old Japanese driver since his promotion to the main team. His tenure with the Milton Keynes team began promisingly, seeing him pick up points in Bahrain, Miami (including P6 in the Sprint) and Imola.
Since then, however, he has been on a run of seven races without any points, with P12 in Canada his best performance during that stretch.
The second Red Bull has been something of a poisoned chalice for many years, with Sergio Perez having the longest period as Verstappen's teammate, with Liam Lawson having the shortest tenure with just two Grand Prix weekends before being axed in favour of Tsunoda this season.
Recent upgrades have seen Tsunoda close the gap to Verstappen in qualifying, but still fall short of expectations for a team that should be at least competing for the Constructors' Championship, and his future with the team beyond this year is still undecided.
It now appears that he has a clear deadline to pick up performances and demonstrate to the team that he deserves to be given another chance in 2026, the first year of the new regulations that could truly shake up the grid akin to the 2014 change.
Speaking to ORF, senior advisor and head of Red Bull's junior program, Helmut Marko, explained: "He [Tsunoda] has to get closer to Max and deliver that level of performance consistently."
"That's why we've postponed the option dates further back, and now we'll look at the upcoming races, and then a decision will be made."
When asked for a specific time, Marko said: "I would say around Mexico."
This gives Tsunoda roughly six Grands Prix, including today's Dutch GP, to start picking up points and show that he is capable of holding this role beyond 2025.
It's a difficult situation for any driver to be in, but a clear deadline gives him a target to work towards and should see the uncertainty clarified by 26th October.
