The 2025 season turned into a complicated journey for Yuki Tsunoda. After contesting the first two rounds of the championship with Racing Bulls, the Japanese driver was promoted to Red Bull as a replacement for the underperforming Liam Lawson. However, for Yuki Tsunoda as well, the move to a top team did not deliver the results he had hoped for. Most of his races ended outside the points, with a sixth-place finish in Baku standing out as his best result, alongside a fifth place in the Sprint race in Qatar.
The step up to Red Bull was seen as a major opportunity for Yuki Tsunoda to prove himself at the highest level, but adapting to the team and to a highly demanding car proved to be far from straightforward. Despite flashes of competitiveness, consistency remained elusive, and the overall balance of his season ultimately fell short of expectations.
The scenarios
As already officially confirmed by the Milton Keynes-based team, the now former Red Bull race driver will not continue his Formula 1 career as a full-time driver, but will remain with Red Bull in 2026 as a test driver and third driver. These are roles that Tsunoda hopes to combine with other responsibilities within the Anglo-Austrian squad. “There is a possibility that next year I won’t focus only on simulator work and on my role as a reserve driver,” he explained to DAZN Japan. “I’ve heard that there are several possible scenarios. For now, I’ll take a bit of rest and then I’ll start training for next season. I’m only 25 years old, so there is still plenty of room for improvement. This is just the beginning. Maybe it’s the end of a chapter, but I’m curious to see how I can grow from here on.”
Tsunoda’s words suggest that Red Bull could be evaluating a broader involvement for him beyond the traditional duties of a reserve driver, potentially allowing him to stay closely connected to on-track activities and long-term development projects.
The decision for 2026
Regardless of what the future holds for Yuki Tsunoda, he will remain part of the Red Bull structure, even though he did not hide his disappointment over the news that he would not be retained as a race driver for 2026. “I found out after the race in Qatar, but honestly at first it didn’t feel real,” he said. “I had prepared myself for this possibility, but the news was different from what I had heard before, so it was a surprise. I heard that the decision changed shortly before I was told. I’m sure there were many reasons for it. When they told me I wouldn’t have a seat next year, it wasn’t like the world was ending. There was still Abu Dhabi, so I was only thinking about the next race.”
The Japanese driver’s comments underline a pragmatic and mature approach to a difficult situation, as he remains focused on making the most of the opportunities that will come his way within Red Bull, while keeping an open mind about his future development in Formula 1.
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