“I was caught by surprise”: Yuki Tsunoda opens up on losing his F1 grid spot with Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda opens up about the unexpected and bittersweet last-minute news from Red Bull.

Yuki Tsunoda shared an unexpected and somewhat bittersweet backstory regarding the end of his tenure as a race driver at Red Bull. Starting next season, Yuki Tsunoda will no longer be part of the official Formula 1 grid. Red Bull’s decision to step him aside was made public on the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the season, when the Milton Keynes team announced that Isack Hadjar will take the Japanese driver’s seat in 2026, while Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will form the new driver lineup for the Racing Bulls team. For Yuki Tsunoda, this marks the start of a new chapter as a Red Bull reserve and test driver, coinciding with the beginning of the new power unit regulations cycle.

The Japanese driver explained that he was informed about the 2026 plans immediately after the Qatar Grand Prix and had mentally prepared himself for the possibility of losing his seat. However, a last-minute tip suggesting that he would retain the seat made the news he eventually received even harder to digest.

Not just reserve duties

“I was told after the race in Qatar, but honestly at first it didn’t feel real,” Yuki Tsunoda told DAZN Japan. “I had prepared for that possibility, but the news was different from what I had heard before, so it caught me by surprise.

“I heard that the decision might have been changed right before the briefing. There must have been many reasons behind this choice. But when they told me I wouldn’t have a full-time seat next year, it wasn’t like the world had collapsed on me.”

Yuki Tsunoda explained how focusing on the next race helped him react immediately: “Abu Dhabi was coming up, so I immediately focused on the next race.”

Despite the disappointment of leaving the grid, the Japanese driver hinted that his role in 2026 might be more active than expected. “There’s a chance that next year it won’t just be simulator work and reserve duties,” he revealed. “I’ve already heard about some possible scenarios. For now, I’ll rest and then start training for the next season.”

Yuki Tsunoda’s candid reflection on his departure from the F1 grid highlights the volatile nature of the Red Bull driver program, where last-minute decisions can reshape a career overnight. Despite losing his full-time seat to Isack Hadjar, Tsunoda’s hint at a more involved role in 2026 suggests he remains a vital component of the team’s future as they navigate a new era of technical regulations.