Red Bull F1 star told he's been FORGOTTEN

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

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull F1 star told he's been FORGOTTEN

Tsunoda has been sidelined for the 2026 season

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 12 January 2026 18:13

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An axed Red Bull star has been hit with the claim that the sport has forgotten him following his demotion from the F1 team.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit have decided to hand four-time champion Max Verstappen a new team-mate yet again heading into the new season, with Isack Hadjar taking Yuki Tsunoda's spot for 2026.

The infamously tricky second Red Bull seat has been tackled by many drivers before Tsunoda, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Liam Lawson having all been plucked from their seat at the junior team to race against Verstappen.

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But a disappointing pattern soon emerged that saw every driver either demoted or out of a seat after failing to keep up with the Dutchman.

And now, Tsunoda has also sadly fallen to the second seat curse.

Have Red Bull ended Tsunoda's F1 career

The 25-year-old has been demoted for 2026 but still kept within the Red Bull family in a reserve driver role.

Former Red Bull star Daniel Ricciardo managed to come back from this position to get another chance at the junior team in 2023, but that opportunity doesn't look likely for Tsunoda unless rookie Arvid Lindblad really struggles to adapt to F1.

The Japanese racer could of course take inspiration from Albon, who, after taking a year out of the sport thanks to his Red Bull sacking, returned to the grid full-time with Williams, where he continues to race today.

But one F1 legend believes it may already be too late for Tsunoda to make a comeback due to the cruel nature of the sport.

Former McLaren and Williams F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya commented on the state of F1 in a recent appearance with AS Colombia, and his assessment does not bode well for Tsunoda.

“Look at how sad Formula 1 is,” Montoya commented.

“People don’t even think about Yuki anymore. It hasn’t even been a month since the last race – a month and a week. Yuki isn’t even on anyone’s radar anymore.

“That’s the reality of this sport. There are those who are heroes one day and zeroes the next. When you’re a hero, you have to take advantage of it.”

F1 Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda Juan Pablo Montoya