Red Bull 'blocked' driver transfer to rival F1 team

Red Bull

Red Bull 'blocked' driver transfer to rival F1 team

Red Bull axed Yuki Tsunoda at the end of 2025

By Brian Van Hinthum.

Friday 17 April 2026 17:59

Former Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko blocked a transfer for one of his drivers last year, according to reports.

Yuki Tsunoda is serving as a test and reserve driver for Red Bull during the 2026 season, leaving him without a full-time race seat after being axed from the grid at the end of last year.

Tsunoda only scored 30 points from 22 race weekends as a Red Bull driver in 2025, a dismal return considering team-mate Max Verstappen won eight grands prix and came within two points of the 2025 drivers' championship title.

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However, a move to another team was once very much on the table. Japanese media have reported that Haas F1 showed strong interest in the driver, but Red Bull’s management ultimately blocked the switch.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu is believed to have expressed genuine interest in his compatriot. Despite the enthusiasm, nothing came of it.

The American outfit eventually decided to continue with their 2025 lineup featuring Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.

Speaking on the Race F1 podcast, journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm noted that the American team was a serious option for Tsunoda.

"Komatsu was very interested in Tsunoda 12 months ago," he said. "It couldn’t continue because Marko closed the door to keep maximum flexibility on what Red Bull could do with its drivers.

"It snuffed out that interest quite early, but in that first third of last year, Tsunoda was a bit of an interesting wildcard in that part of the driver market.

"While he’s obviously been a Honda driver up until now, I think it’s possible that, with that Toyota link, Toyota seize the opportunity for Tsunoda to become the reference for what they want to achieve with that Haas partnership, which is to be a pathway for young Japanese drivers.

"I think Tsunoda to Haas has quite a lot of sense to it once you look into it."

F1 HEADLINES: Red Bull set for 2027 crisis, Verstappen and Russell team up

Will Tsunoda return to F1 in 2027?

Tsunoda was passed over for a permanent race seat following a poor 2025 season. Isack Hadjar secured a spot alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, while Liam Lawson and newcomer Arvid Lindblad joined the sister team, leaving Tsunoda in a reserve role.

Tsunoda's dismissal might mean that he has more time to try and shape his future for the 2027 season, however. Japanese media have even suggested that Haas could be back in the picture for a return.

Even though Tsunoda has strong ties with Honda and Haas currently partners with Toyota on technical matters, this rivalry isn’t seen as an insurmountable obstacle.

If Tsunoda decides to leave Red Bull, there may still be opportunities for him to make a comeback in the sport, with Aston Martin also a team in the picture to secure his signature for 2027.

F1 Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda Haas