The confirmation that Yuki Tsunoda will not be part of Red Bull‘s Formula 1 line-up in 2026 brings an end to the Japanese driver’s five-year journey within the energy drink company’s scheme.
The decision, as it often happens when Red Bull announces a driver change, will divide opinion – some will see it as another harsh example of Red Bull’s unforgiving approach to driver management, while others will view it as an inevitable outcome in a team that measures everything exclusively by performance.
In that sense, there is little to argue in Tsunoda’s favour.
The numbers tell the story
The Japanese driver took over Liam Lawson‘s seat in round three at Suzuka. Ahead of the final race of the season, 21 races later, Tsunoda’s progress has been minimal in terms of laptime compared to Max Verstappen.
While his race results have improved as of late since he went through a barren period of seven races without scoring a point, Tsunoda’s best race result is a fifth place, in an event won by his team-mate.
Tsunoda has qualified, on average, three quarters of a second behind Verstappen since his joined the world champion at Red Bul. It’s the biggest gap between team-mates across the entire field.
Since Japan, Verstappen has scored 360 points, including five victories. Tsunoda has managed 30 points in total.
For a driver who pushed Red Bull to give him a promotion for years, claiming he was ready for the big time, Tsunoda’s statistics didn’t make a strong enough case to be retained alongside Verstappen going into the new rules era.
Tsunoda had nearly 90 grands prix starts when he was promoted to Red Bull, and 2025 is his fifth season in the championship.
It was clear that he would never have the kind of time other teams give to their new drivers.
Lawson, a man who was placed as Verstappen’s team-mate after 11 grand prix starts, was given two races before he was demoted to Racing Bulls.
With that in mind, Tsunoda could not have expected a generous grace period, even if the team’s philosophy might have changed since Laurent Mekies took over Christian Horner at the helm.
It’s easy to argue that he deserved more time, but that’s not how Red Bull functions.
Sergio Perez was the exception, having four full seasons at Red Bull before being replaced, while still having a valid contract.
Asking whether those decisions were fair is beyond the point, as fairness is, first of all, subjective and, second, not Red Bull’s top priority. Granted, that’s not exclusive to Red Bull, but the Milton Keynes squad is most ruthless than most.
Sixth place in Austin equalled Tsunoda’s best result in 2025
Red Bull
For Red Bull, fairness has never been about patience. It’s about performance, and by that measure, the decision to remove Tsunoda makes sense, even if it stings.
Tsunoda’s unspectacular spell was always going to make him vulnerable, especially in Red Bull’s busy conveyor belt of junior drivers.
Factors beyond Tsunoda’s control
For Tsunoda, the timing was also unfortunate. Isack Hadjar has impressed in his early Formula 1 appearances, and even Lawson started to look stronger than Tsunoda at times.
With Red Bull also eager to move Arvid Lindblad into F1, it was getting too crowded, and Tsunoda looked like the weakest link.
There were also clear structural factors working against the Japanese.
As the team’s established benchmark, Verstappen naturally received the earliest access to new developments – from revised floor designs to aerodynamic upgrades – often leaving Tsunoda running with older specifications for multiple weekends.
Tsunoda’s progress towards Verstappen has not been fast enough
Red Bull
As in the past, the car’s design philosophy also played a part. Red Bull’s 2025 chassis continued the trend of prioritising a sharp, rear-limited balance to suit Verstappen’s ultra-precise driving style.
Tsunoda, who prefers a slightly more progressive turn-in, found himself fighting a car that demanded absolute confidence in entry, a quality Verstappen’s driving allows but few others can replicate.
And then there’s the psychological weight of the Red Bull environment itself.
The gap becomes self-reinforcing: Verstappen’s dominance guarantees him the team’s focus, and that focus makes it even harder for anyone else to catch up, as Perez found out during his years alongside the Dutchman.
Red Bull’s decision may feel brutal, but it is consistent with the logic that built its empire: only the exceptional survive.
What next for Tsunoda
Tsunoda will stay at Red Bull as F1 reserve, but losing the racing seat doesn’t necessarily spell the end of his Formula 1 career, although it does close the door on the system that defined his entire path to the grid.
Can Tsunoda find an F1 seat elsewhere?
Red Bull
Having been developed, promoted, and ultimately discarded within the same programme, his next move will depend on how successfully he can redefine himself outside the Red Bull orbit, a challenge several others have met with success.
Faced with limited options and a Verstappen-centric machine, Red Bull’s promotion of Hadjar for 2026 feels less like a bold move than the inevitable product of a its system
By
Pablo Elizalde
Carlos Sainz, Gasly and Albon all left the Red Bull structure under similarly uncertain circumstances, only to thrive once freed from its pressures.
Sainz became a race winner with Ferrari, Gasly rebuilt his reputation at Alpine , and Albon has been central to Williams‘s resurgence.
Each case shows that life after Red Bull is not only possible but, in the right environment, often liberating.
Although the options to be on the grid next year are gone, Tsunoda’s technical feedback and familiarity with Red Bull systems make him a valuable stabilising presence during the 2026 rules reset.
Beyond that, his long-standing ties with Honda could open doors elsewhere.
The Japanese manufacturer’s involvement with Aston Martin provides a potential route back to a factory-aligned seat or a development role that keeps him active and visible.
Whatever he does next, Tsunoda will join a growing list of drivers who may find purpose beyond Red Bull’s cut-throat ecosystem.
