Tsunoda’s ‘always a chance’ undone by Marko’s departure?
Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda has been left without a seat for the F1 2026 season
Yuki Tsunoda was informed after the Qatar Grand Prix that Abu Dhabi would be his last race as a Red Bull driver, irrespective of what, or how, he tried to help Max Verstappen in the season finale.
Alas, the questions of who, what, where, how and who would not apply. It was simply a case of you’re out, and Isack Hadjar is in.
Yuki Tsunodao has been dropped from a race seatTsunoda, Hajdar, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were all informed for the Red Bull/Racing Bulls decision ahead of the season final with Hadjar joining Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s F1 2026 team, Lawson holding onto his Racing Bulls seat and Lindblad stepping up from Formula 2 to F1.
Tsunoda was the big loser.
From Racing Bulls at round one to Red Bull at round three, he found himself a reserve driver at round 1 of F1 2026.
To be fair, he played his hand, strived for a seat alongside Verstappen, fell short, and wasfound up against
It meant as the F1 2025 season played out, Verstappen was two points short of the World title and Tsunoda was third last on the list of full-time drivers for the F1 2025 season.
But his Red Bull story is by no means over says Marko.
Signed up as the Red Bull and Racing Bulls reserve for 2026, Tsunoda could yet make a comeback.
Marko, who himself will leave Red Bull at the end of this season, told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Abu Dhabi, “It was difficult because he was very disappointed.
“But we explained him, he should stay in the family as reserve driver for four cars gives always a chance.
“And yeah, you know Racing Bulls is the team for junior drivers. It will be his sixth seasons, and that doesn’t fit together.”
However, Marko’s opinion may carry less weight at Red Bull as he and the team are in the process of saying goodbye at the end of the F1 2025 year.
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