Power Move: Red Bull Reportedly Delivers Its Verdict on Tsunoda
It’s a tough world out here. Formula 1 is a pressure cooker, a high-stakes game of musical chairs where only the fastest survive. Every driver on that grid knows that any weekend could be their last if they don’t perform. For Yuki Tsunoda, that harsh reality seems to be roaring up in his rearview mirror. The word on the street, coming from the folks over at De Telegraaf, is that Red Bull has made its call, and it’s not the one Tsunoda or his legion of fans wanted to hear.
The paddock is buzzing with whispers that Yuki’s time in the Red Bull family is running out. According to reports, the decision has been made to drop him from the lineup after the 2025 season. It’s a gut punch for a driver who has shown flashes of raw, unadulterated speed and a whole lot of heart.
Is Red Bull Dropping the Ball on Yuki Tsunoda?
Let’s call it what it is: this feels like a mistake. Red Bull, a team that prides itself on spotting and nurturing raw talent, might be letting a diamond in the rough slip through their fingers. Yuki Tsunoda isn’t just another driver. He’s a personality, a fighter with a fiery spirit that F1 desperately needs.
He’s the guy who isn’t afraid to show his emotions, who wears his heart on his sleeve, and who has been steadily honing his craft. This season, he was moved up to the senior Red Bull team from Racing Bulls, a move that seemed like a vote of confidence. But in the cutthroat world of F1, confidence is a currency that devalues quickly.
The performance gap to a generational talent like Max Verstappen is a tough yardstick for anyone to measure up to, and it seems Tsunoda is the latest to fall short in the eyes of the decision-makers. The reports claim that after a high-level meeting in Qatar with the big bosses Helmut Marko, Laurent Mekies, and Oliver Mintzlaff, the die was cast.
What’s Next for the Fan-Favorite Driver?
The rumor mill isn’t just saying Yuki is out of the main Red Bull seat. It’s suggesting there’s no room for him at the sister team, Racing Bulls, either. That’s a cold move. It would leave the Japanese driver, a fan-favorite for his aggressive driving and unfiltered radio messages, out in the cold just as the sport heads into the massive 2026 regulation reset.
The name being floated to take his place? Isack Hadjar. The young French-Algerian has apparently impressed the team during his rookie season. But promoting a rookie over a driver who has spent years developing within your own system is a bold, and arguably risky, strategy. For Yuki, this news puts his career in question.
At 25, he should be entering his prime. He’s got the speed, the experience, and a fighting spirit that you just can’t teach. Will another team see the potential that Red Bull might be overlooking? With the 2026 grid still in flux, there could be opportunities. Teams looking for a driver with proven talent and a point to prove could do no worse than give Tsunoda a call.
Final Thoughts
His journey has been a rollercoaster, but that’s what makes him so compelling. He’s not a polished, media-trained robot. He’s real. He’s human. And he drives like he’s got everything to prove. Losing him from the grid would be a loss for the sport as a whole. Here’s hoping this isn’t the end of the road, but just a sharp, unexpected corner in the thrilling career of Yuki Tsunoda.
