Red Bull has yet to officially confirm its 2026 driver line-up, leaving Yuki Tsunoda’s future in the team uncertain.
The Austrian team had enjoyed a period of relative calm regarding the discussion over the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. However, doubts are starting to resurface, and speculation is growing about whether Yuki Tsunoda will retain his position or be replaced for the 2026 season. Who could potentially challenge him for the seat?
Yuki Tsunoda earned his promotion to Red Bull in his fifth year in Formula 1. The Japanese driver did not start the season in the first race with Red Bull, as the team initially paired Max Verstappen with Liam Lawson. However, Lawson’s underwhelming performances prompted Red Bull management to demote the New Zealander to the VCARB program, opening the opportunity for Tsunoda to step in.
So far in 2025, the number 22 driver has scored only ten points, accounting for roughly 5% of Red Bull’s total tally. This starkly contrasts with his teammate Max Verstappen, who has continued to dominate the team’s results, leaving Tsunoda struggling to keep pace. Verstappen’s history of outperforming his teammates makes any comparison particularly challenging for the young Japanese driver.
Given Yuki Tsunoda’s difficulties this season, questions about his long-term future are becoming more pressing. Will Red Bull renew his contract for 2026, or will the team decide to focus on other rising talents from the Red Bull Junior Academy? The team currently has promising drivers such as Isack Hadjar, who is showing impressive performance in his debut season, and Arvid Lindblad, who has taken part in FP1 sessions this year as a rookie and is eagerly awaiting a chance to secure a seat in the top tier. With the Formula 2 season nearing its conclusion, Red Bull will soon have more data to evaluate their next moves.
Helmut Marko addressed the situation regarding the drivers’ contracts, emphasizing that the decision is not urgent for Red Bull at this stage. “We usually make our evaluations of the drivers after the summer break, and then we will decide how the line-up for the following year will look, possibly even later. At the moment, everything is open: we are evaluating performances. No decision has been made yet,” the Red Bull advisor explained.
With the 2025 season continuing to unfold, Yuki Tsunoda’s ability to deliver strong results in the remaining races could play a key role in securing his place alongside Verstappen for 2026. Red Bull’s management will weigh consistency, racecraft, and development potential before finalizing the line-up, keeping fans and pundits eager for the team’s eventual announcement.
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