Red Bull confirmed on Tuesday that Yuki Tsunoda, 25, has lost his Formula One race seat for 2026, a decision that ends his turbulent 2025 campaign and places him in a test and reserve role that will keep him within the organisation but off the grid.
The Japanese driver began the season at Racing Bulls before being promoted to Red Bull for his home race in Japan, yet he struggled to match the relentless pace of team mate Max Verstappen. By the Qatar Grand Prix he had collected 33 points, 30 of them for Red Bull, while Verstappen had amassed 396. Tsunoda also sat behind both Racing Bulls drivers in the standings, with Liam Lawson on 38 points and Isack Hadjar on 51. Hadjar, a rookie who claimed a podium in the Netherlands in August, will partner Verstappen next season.
Tsunoda said the news was difficult to absorb. He described it as “incredibly tough” and wrote that he was “not finished yet”, insisting he would fight for a return in 2027. He pointed to recent performances as evidence of progress, particularly since receiving equipment that he said was closer in specification to Verstappen’s. Across recent weekends he believed he had closed the gap to within two or three tenths, citing sessions in Las Vegas and Qatar where he ran ahead of the reigning champion. His Sprint qualifying result in Qatar, where he started ahead of Verstappen, was the clearest example.
Even so, Red Bull saw a different path forward. Team principal Laurent Mekies praised Tsunoda’s personality and contribution to the operation but the team opted for Hadjar, who becomes the third driver to fill the second Red Bull seat in a year. Arvid Lindblad will join Lawson at Racing Bulls, leaving the 2026 grid without a Japanese driver.
Tsunoda’s campaign has been marked by fluctuating form and shifting circumstances. He started the season in an uncompetitive Racing Bulls car, then moved into a Red Bull machine that, at times, carried older parts compared to Verstappen’s. He argued that these challenges limited his ability to show consistent pace and said few drivers could “live with” the demands of partnering Verstappen under mid season conditions.
Alex Albon, who experienced a similar demotion earlier in his career, backed Tsunoda’s ability and said he believed the Japanese driver deserved a place on the grid. For now Tsunoda remains determined. His final race as a Red Bull driver will come in Abu Dhabi, a closing chapter he hopes will be followed by another opportunity.
Stats for this season:
Races entered
22
Points
33
Best finish
6th (Azerbaijan)
Points finishes
9
DNF
1 (Saudi Arabia)
Average race finish
11.4
Top 10 results
• Qatar – 10th (5 pts)
• United States – 7th (8 pts)
• Azerbaijan – 6th (8 pts)
• Hungary – 9th (2 pts)
• Italy – 9th (2 pts)
• Emilia Romagna – 10th (1 pt)
• Miami – 10th (4 pts)
• China – 16th (3 pts from Sprint or classification)
• Japan – 12th (0 pts)
