Yuki Tsunoda revealed that he lost his phone in Lake Como while spending time in Italy during the Formula 1 summer break. Red Bull took this chance to humorously engage with fans and highlight the incident involving the Japanese driver’s misplaced device.
Summer Break Offers Drivers Time to Recharge Between Races
The break falls between the British Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix, giving drivers a rare pause to relax. Tsunoda, who became part of Red Bull following the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this year, was present in Italy during this downtime.
Red Bull’s Playful Appeal to Fans for Assistance
In a lighthearted post, Tsunoda asked his social media followers for help.
“On a completely unrelated topic, if anyone finds a phone while swimming in Lake Como, lemme know,”
he wrote in his Instagram story.
Red Bull then added their own humorous plea:
“If you’re in the Lake Como area, please help Yuki find his phone,”
accompanied by a map highlighting the spot where the phone presumably sank, marked as Jason Statham’s Son.
Connection to Jason Statham and Tsunoda’s Unique Airdrop Name
This quirky reference ties back to Tsunoda’s well-known admiration for actor Jason Statham, which was revealed before the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. His performance coach, Michael Italiano, disclosed the driver’s fandom directly to Statham and revealed Tsunoda’s personalized iPhone Airdrop name as “Jason Statham’s son.”
“You should tell him. You know what you should do? You should bluetooth him something. So you can see it,”
Italiano said during the encounter.
“His Airdrop name, this is a true story, is ‘Jason Statham’s son’. That’s his Airdrop name. Every time his phone connects to the car, it says ‘connected to Jason Statham’s son’,”
added Italiano.
Current Performance and Team Standings
Since joining Red Bull in 2025 after replacing Liam Lawson, Tsunoda has struggled to reach his expected form, hampered by challenges with the RB21 car. He is currently positioned 17th in the drivers’ championship with 10 points.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s performance as a team has also been affected, now standing fourth in the constructors‘ championship with 172 points, a significant 288 points behind race leaders McLaren.
Implications and What Comes Next
Tsunoda’s phone incident added a rare moment of levity during a difficult period for both the driver and Red Bull, whose season has been marked by frustration and underperformance. Fans’ involvement in tracking down the lost device underscores the close connection between drivers and their supporters, even in off-track moments.
As the season moves forward past the summer break, Tsunoda and Red Bull will aim to improve results and gather momentum, hoping for a turnaround in both individual and team standings.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did Yuki Tsunoda ever win a race?
A. Yuki Tsunoda started his journey to Formula One in 2016 by racing in the Japanese F4 championship at Suzuka. He achieved 10 wins in the series and stood on the podium 18 times. Additionally, he earned 12 pole positions and recorded the fastest lap in five races.