Despite rumors of a possible move to Aston Martin and the slim chances of being promoted to the top team, Yuki Tsunoda makes it clear that his main goal is to remain in the Red Bull program even in 2026.
Yuki Tsunoda is set to embark on his fifth Formula 1 season with Racing Bulls, his second as team leader following Pierre Gasly’s departure at the end of 2023. With the arrival of the young Isack Hadjar (born in 2004) from Formula 2, the Japanese driver—though still young himself, turning 25 on May 11—will be the team’s reference figure, just as he was in late 2024 alongside then-teammate Liam Lawson (22).
Despite his steady performance improvement over the years, Sergio Perez’s departure at the end of last season was not enough to earn Tsunoda a promotion. “I was prepared, I didn’t feel too disappointed or angry. I definitely still have hope. “Even with Racing Bulls, there are several things I still need to develop further, like leadership.” he explained last Tuesday during the press conference before the F1 75 Live ceremony at the O2 Arena.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also addressed the Tsunoda situation in December, following Lawson’s promotion, hinting at a possible move: “Does it make sense to have a driver in the support team for five years? At that point, you have to look at something different.”
It’s also worth considering that the partnership between Red Bull and Honda will end after 2025, with the Japanese giant switching to Aston Martin.
Honda has assured that it will continue to support Tsunoda even if he no longer races for a team backed by them—after all, their partnership began before he even arrived in Formula 1. Despite this, the 24-year-old from Sagamihara has stated that his priority is to remain within Red Bull’s orbit. “It depends on my performance, like every year. I feel connected to everyone in the team—it’s very important for me to improve. I feel a lot of support from them, and that means a lot to me.” .
Meanwhile, Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies is enjoying his gem: “Yuki made a big step forward last year in terms of pure speed. He will be the team leader and is a vital part of our plans: he has been an integral part of all the changes we started last year.”
Photo: F1.com, Yuki Tsunoda on X