Formula 1 News: Where will Yuki Tsunoda race in 2026?
Honda-Backed Yuki Tsunoda’s days racing under the Red Bull banner appear numbered after being passed over by Red Bull to race alongside Max Verstappen in 2025. The popular Japanese driver looks to be running out of road at the Red Bull-owned Formula One teams.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Tsunoda, 24, will be starting his fifth year with their ‘B’ team – RB (Now Racing Bulls) team. Tsunoda has close ties to engine partners Honda, who supplies the Red Bulls ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams.
The Japanese manufacturer is leaving Red Bull at the end of 2025, however, to work with Aston Martin starting in 2026 and many believe Tsunoda will move with Honda.
“We’re acutely aware that if we’re not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki at Red Bull in all honesty this year, does keeping him on make sense?” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters.
“You can’t have a driver in the support team for five years. You can’t always be the bridesmaid. You’ve either got to let them go at that point or look at something different.”
Horner said he had spoken with Tsunoda and the driver was determined to show what he could do.
“I think he’s very determined. He knows that things change very quickly,” said the Briton. If Liam Lawson fails miserably alongside Max Verstappen, Tsunoda could be called up midway through the 2025 season.
“Who would have thought nine months ago that we’d be sitting here talking about Liam Lawson being our driver for 2025?
“Things change quickly in this industry and Yuki’s aware of that and he knows that he needs to be the one demonstrating that he’s the one knocking on the door.”
The Red Bull talent pool is deep. F3 driver Arvid Lindblad as an exciting talent on the horizon. Horner rates the 17-year-old very high
Currently without a Superlicense, Lindblad will be seeking the necessary points in New Zealand early next year before a full F2 season that could set him up for promotion in 2026 – filling the seat vacated by Tsunoda who is likely headed to Aston Martin, either as a Reserve Driver or to replace Fernando Alonso should he choose to retire.