Yuki Tsunoda will no longer be active as a Formula 1 driver in 2026. Red Bull has confirmed that the Japanese driver will lose his racing seat and will take on a new role within the team next year. After a disappointing debut season with the main team, team boss Laurent Mekies has given the second seat to Isack Hadjar. Tsunoda will continue to serve within the Red Bull ranks as a test and reserve driver.
Like his many predecessors, Yuki Tsunoda paled in comparison to Max Verstappen. After two races with Racing Bulls, he was promptly thrown in at the deep end; during his home race in Japan, he made his long-awaited debut with the main team. However, the results were not forthcoming; his best performance was achieving a sixth place in Azerbaijan. It proved insufficient to secure his future as a permanent driver. With several young talents waiting in the wings, the Japanese driver will be the one to lose out after the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
‘Tsunoda is a complete driver’
However, the provisional end of his Formula 1 career does not mean that Tsunoda will disappear from Red Bull. The team confirmed on Tuesday that he will take on the role of test and reserve driver. In this way, he will continue to support the team. Team boss Laurent Mekies emphasized how important Tsunoda has been – and remains – for the organization: “Yuki has been driving in Red Bull colors for seven years and I have had the pleasure of working with him at both Red Bull teams,” he stated in an official press release. “During his five seasons in Formula 1, Yuki has become a complete driver, good over one lap on Saturday and capable of exceptional things on Sunday.”
Tsunoda enjoys great popularity within Formula 1, as Mekies also knows. His dry humor and friendly character have not gone unnoticed. “Everyone in the sport will agree that it is impossible not to like Yuki,” the Frenchman continued. “His personality is infectious and he has become a very special member of the Red Bull family. On behalf of everyone at Red Bull, I want to thank him for what he has contributed and we know that he will be invaluable for the projects for 2026.”
