Major Red Bull driver update issued amid rising uncertainty

Yuki Tsunoda will remain with Red Bull until the end of the season according to Honda motorsport boss Koji Watanabe.

Tsunoda is the latest driver to struggle alongside Max Verstappen, leading to suggestions he could be replaced at the Milton Keynes squad during the summer break.

Embattled Yuki Tsunoda still supported by Honda boss

Tsunoda is under pressure to secure his future in F1 with the expectation that he’ll be ousted from Red Bull at the end of the season.

The Japanese driver enjoys strong backing from Honda, the automaker set to switch its factory support to Aston Martin for F1 2026.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both have contracts securing their place on the grid next season, though both George Russell and Max Verstappen have at times also been linked with a potential move to the squad.

Tsunoda has been tipped to join the Silverstone-based operation as a reserve driver.

Before then, Watanabe has stated that he expects the 25-year-old will remain with Red Bull though until the end of the season.

“First of all, there’s no discussion going on saying yes [that he’ll be replaced during the summer break],” Watanabe told Japanese outlet Auto Sport Web.

“In the first place, in a discussion with Red Bull in March, we had agreed to transfer Yuki to Red Bull. So we don’t expect him to be replaced in the summer break.

“I am aware that there are various rumours going around, but I confirmed with the team at Silverstone, where the British Grand Prix was held this time, but basically Yuki will be racing for Red Bull until the end of this season.

“I would like to state clearly that this is the case,” he added. “I think this is also a sign of Red Bull’s high expectations for Yuki. Those expectations remain the same, and I think if we translate them into results somewhere in the second half, the possibilities will expand for the future.”

More on Red Bull’s driver dilemma

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Honda on Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull future: pic.twitter.com/RVrtbUGKuK

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Tsunoda has scored just seven points in his 10 races with Red Bull since being parachuted in to replace Liam Lawson following the Chinese Grand Prix.

However, his inability to get anywhere near team-mate Verstappen, the third driver in succession to struggle alongside the Dutchman, has seen difficult questions raised about the Red Bull RB21 and the development path which led to it.

It has seen the team that dominated F1 2023, winning 21 of 22 races, slide to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship this year, almost exclusively thanks to Verstappen’s efforts as Tsunoda battles down the order.

“To be honest, as long as I’m just looking at the results from the outside, I feel like we are struggling more than we expected,” Watanabe added of Red Bull’s fortunes this season.

“However, when I keep in touch with Yuki and listen to his various stories, he seems to take it more positively than I expected.

“I think we can continue to do so if the competitiveness of our cars improves and we can seize good opportunities. To that end, we at HRC will continue to fully back up the project.”

In addition to a move to Aston Martin, Tsunoda’s representatives have also met with Cadillac team boss, Graeme Lowdon.

He joins a long list of drivers connected with the all-new operation ahead of its inaugural season in 2026.

Isack Hadjar has emerged as favourite to replace him at the senior Red Bull team.

The Frenchman has impressed throughout the opening half of his rookie season, scoring the lion’s share of Racing Bulls’ points thus far (21 of 36) with five top 10 finishes.

His promotion would in turn create space for Arvid Lindblad to join the F1 grid in his place, alongside Lawson.

Lindblad has recently obtained an FIA Super Licence after receiving a dispensation, needed as he didn’t meet age criteria.

The Swedish-Brit dual national has already had his first taste of an F1 race weekend, replacing Tsunoda during opening practice at the British Grand Prix.

Across the garage, Verstappen has also been tipped to leave Milton Keynes as rumours linking him with a switch to Mercedes refuse to go away.

Resolving its current driver predicament will be a task that falls to Red Bull’s newly appointed CEO and team principal, Laurent Mekies, in conjunction with motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.

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