What is next for Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda?
- Published
Yuki Tsunoda has been dropped by Red Bull as a driver for the 2026 season.
The Japanese driver will not drive for them or their sister team, Racing Bulls, next year.
Tsunoda, 25, will remain in Red Bull as a test and reserve driver - informally known as the third driver in a team.
In this role, Tsunoda will participate in testing the cars and working on the simulator.
He will help the team collect important data regarding the cars - which in a season with new regulations will be a key role.
Tsunoda will also be available to stand in for a Red Bull driver, should they not be available to participate in any events during a race week.
"I'm not finished yet," Tsunoda wrote on Instagram.
"Finding out I won't have a race seat in 2026 was incredibly tough, but I'm determined to work harder than ever with Red Bull as test and reserve driver to develop with the team, and prove I deserve a place on the grid.
"Life's full of setbacks, and this is mine. It's not going to deter me from being the best F1 driver I can be."
Becoming a reserve driver will allow Tsunoda to continue to be in the paddock during race weeks, while also searching for a seat in the 2027 season.
"His personality is infectious, and he has become a very special part of the Red Bull family," said Red Bull team principal, Laurent Mekies.
Both Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon made a comeback to the grid, after spending time in the reserve roles at Red Bull.
Yuki Tsunoda joined Formula 1 in 2021, driving for Alpha Tauri, now known as Racing Bulls
Get in touch
Send us your questions
What happened this season?
Tsunoda started the first two races in 2025 in the Racing Bulls seat, before he was promoted to Red Bull for his home race in Japan.
However, the 25-year-old has struggled to match the performance of his team-mate Max Verstappen.
As of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, Verstappen has a total of 396 points, whereas Tsunoda has collected 33 points, 30 of which were as a Red Bull driver.
He is also below the Racing Bull drivers in the standings - Liam Lawson, who swapped seats with Tsunoda, has 38 points, and Isack Hadjar is 10th in the standings with 51 points.
Rookie Hadjar will replace Tsunoda at Red Bull for the 2026 season.
Tsunoda's last race as a Red Bull driver will be at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
He joined F1 in 2021, driving for Racing Bulls which at the time was known as Alpha Tauri.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.
What is Ask Me Anything?
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.
We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.
Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.
