F1 star Yuki Tsunoda OUT at Red Bull! Here's what he'll do next

Yuki Tsunoda looking sad on a black and white background of the F1 grid — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Analysis

Yuki Tsunoda OUT at Red Bull! Here's what he'll do next

Tsunoda will be replaced by Isack Hadjar

Chris Deeley

Tuesday 2 December 2025 18:54

Here's a fun fact that, frankly, it's surprising that Sky F1's David Croft and Ted Kravitz haven't picked up on yet: 'How do you solve a problem like Tsunoda?' scans perfectly to one of the most famous songs from The Sound of Music.

That question is something that the Red Bull setup has been puzzling over for some time now. What, exactly, do you do with a driver who's on the fringes of being competitive but who one of your key partners would really like you to keep employing?

In this instance, Red Bull decided last winter to give him a fifth consecutive season with their development team. That plan went sideways almost immediately thanks to Liam Lawson's poor start to the season, plonking Tsunoda into one of the most cursed seats in the sport at zero notice.

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They've now reached the natural end point of that experiment – Isack Hadjar up to the big boy seat opposite Max Verstappen, Avrid Lindblad in at Racing Bulls to replace him, and Tsunoda out in the cold.

Yuki Tsunoda will not drive for Red Bull in 2026

The 2026 grid is now entirely set, meaning Tsunoda won't race next year barring a catastrophe for another driver. Does that mean his time as a front-line driver in F1 is over? It shouldn't.

While the 25-year-old has been well off the pace in a car designed around the unique preferences of the best driver in the sport, he's shown more than enough development through his years with AlphaTauri/VCARB/Racing Bulls/[Name of your choice goes here] that there can still be a place for him on the grid.

For now, Red Bull will keep him in the fold as a Valtteri Bottas-like test/reserve driver and all-round vibes guy, as one of the most charming and personable drivers in the paddock. That should keep him front of mind for 2027 when he'd fit in perfectly at a team like, for example, Cadillac.

At some point, an exciting new team needs a young driver with potential in its driver lineup, rather than two fellas rapidly approaching their late 30s. A decent 25-year-old who's dealt with experienced team-mates, still has some room to grow, and is marketable? Just sign the contract already.

F1 Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda