Yuki Tsunoda Expresses Disappointment After Being Dropped to Reserve Driver Role at Red Bull
Yuki Tsunoda has spoken out about his disappointment after being demoted to a reserve driver role at Red Bull for the 2026 season. The Japanese driver, who was promoted to Red Bull from Racing Bulls earlier this year, will be replaced by Isack Hadjar, while Liam Lawson will be joined by F2 driver Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls.
Tsunoda’s demotion was anticipated due to his disappointing results at Red Bull, but he only received confirmation from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko after the Qatar Grand Prix. “Obviously I’m disappointed, and p—-ed off,” Tsunoda said in an interview. “It was right after the race from Helmut [that I was told], privately, that I’m not racing next year so I think that’s it.”
Tsunoda’s Reaction and Reflection
Tsunoda expressed his surprise at how he was feeling after the news, stating that he was “OK” and had even ordered his usual breakfast the next morning. However, he acknowledged that the reality of the situation may sink in after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “Maybe I’ll feel more after Abu Dhabi but that’s how it went and how I feel now,” he said.
Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix after Liam Lawson struggled to match Max Verstappen’s performance in the opening two races of the season. Despite his lack of success in the Red Bull car, Tsunoda believes his performance relative to Verstappen was not as bad as it seemed, especially once his car was in the same specification as his teammate.
Performance and Regrets
Tsunoda’s only regret from the season is not having more opportunities to prove himself in the Racing Bulls car, which he had developed with the team over the years. “The only regret I have is missing out on that pretty good f—ing car in the VCARB but also it’s like throwing away your kids, your baby, because it’s the car that I developed with the team throughout the years since we had this regulation and I’m sure there’s my DNA inside as well,” he said.
According to Tsunoda, his performance in the second half of the season was more competitive, especially when his car was in the same specification as Verstappen’s. “If you look at the whole season, maybe the second half of the season especially, if you just look at the result of where I was in Q1 and he’s consistently top three, top four, the result looked bad, but at the same time, if you just see the performance side even the times that I exited in Q1 I can’t remember last time I was four or five tenths behind,” he explained.
Tsunoda is proud of his growth and improvement throughout the season, despite being up against one of the best drivers on the grid. “Max has been here for years now. He knows about this car, a lot of things. Obviously, I can’t deny that he’s the best driver on the grid but at the same time, I’m happy that I’m able to catch up quite quickly at this level myself, especially this very tight field this year is one of the tightest fields in history,” he said.
