Yuki Tsunoda receives new Red Bull role in F1 2026 driver shakeup

Yuki Tsunoda’s time as a Red Bull Racing driver has drawn to an end with the Japanese driver set to lose his seat at the end of F1 2025.

Isack Hadjar has been announced alongside Max Verstappen for next season with Arvid Lindblad set to join Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls. Tsunoda, however, will remain in the fold as the Red Bull test and reserve driver for F1 2026.

Red Bull ‘bid farewell to Yuki Tsunoda’, kind of…

Tsunoda has been left without a drive in the Red Bull reshuffle in a move that, at least for now, brings a curtain down on his time on the F1 grid.

“Yuki has raced in Red Bull colours for seven years now and I have had the pleasure of working with him at both Red Bull teams,” said Red Bull team boss, Laurent Mekies.

“Through his five seasons so far in Formula One, Yuki has matured into a complete racer, good over a single lap on Saturday and capable of exceptional starts and excellent race craft on Sunday.

“Everyone in the sport would agree it is impossible not to like Yuki, his personality is infectious, and he has become a very special part of the Red Bull family.

“On behalf of everyone at Red Bull, I thank him for what he has contributed so far and we know he will provide invaluable support to the 2026 projects moving forwards.”

Tsunoda will stay on as test and reserve driver for Red Bull Racing, a role once filled by Alex Albon, who went on to return to the grid with Williams. Tsunoda will perform the same role with Racing Bulls when Ayumu Iwasa is unavailable.

After making his debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, Tsunoda enjoyed a breakout season alongside Pierre Gasly the following year.

He then performed well against the likes of Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo but was ultimately overlooked in favour of Liam Lawson when Red Bull was looking to replace Sergio Perez at the end of F1 2024.

It was a move that put the Japanese driver’s place within the Red Bull programme in question.

However, his disappointment was short-lived after Lawson struggled in the opening two races of the year alongside Verstappen.

Tsunoda was drafted in to replace the New Zealander from the Japanese Grand Prix, though, like his former Racing Bulls colleague, was unable to match Verstappen.

There have been improved showings in recent races, and his performance on the opening lap of the Qatar Sprint was especially beneficial for the Dutchman, but Tsunoda’s contribution to the team has remained underwhelming.

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With Hadjar showing promise at Racing Bulls, and Lindblad ready for promotion into F1, it again put Tsunoda in direct competition with Lawson to remain on the grid for F1 2026.

The outcome of that has been that, after five seasons, Tsunoda’s time on the grid has come to an end, at least for now.

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