Yuki Tsunoda spent five years proving himself at Red Bull. Five years of delivering results, scoring points, and doing exactly what the team asked. His reward? A reserve driver role whilst everyone calls him “extremely talented” and “deserving of an F1 seat.” Because nothing says “we value your contribution” quite like demoting someone to third driver status then issuing press releases about how brilliant they are, does it?
Red Bull confirmed Isack Hadjar will take Tsunoda’s seat for 2026. The Japanese driver gets to watch from the sidelines whilst Hadjar and Liam Lawson race. Laurent Mekies thinks Tsunoda “will get another chance.” Alex Albon reckons he’s “extremely talented” and “deserves a place in F1.” Even Guenther Steiner defended his Abu Dhabi weaving against Lando Norris during the title decider.
Lovely words. Shame nobody’s actually giving him a race seat.
When Five Years of Service Earns You Unemployment
Here’s what actually happened. Tsunoda got promoted to Red Bull after just two races this season. Management decided Lawson needed more time. The Japanese driver was the obvious choice. Then he spent the rest of the year struggling alongside Max Verstappen, failing to match his pace, and watching his F1 career circle the drain.
Was he terrible? Not remotely. He finished races. He scored points. He even helped Verstappen’s title challenge in Abu Dhabi by weaving across the track to delay Norris. That move earned him a five-second penalty and a penalty point whilst Norris sailed past to claim the championship.
Red Bull’s response? Thanks for everything, here’s a reserve role, good luck finding another seat.
Laurent Mekies delivered the corporate farewell speech with all the enthusiasm of someone reading a funeral eulogy. Called it a “very difficult decision.” Admitted “the second seat in Red Bull Racing is not an easy one.” Praised Tsunoda for having “a lot in him” whilst confirming he’s been replaced by someone younger and cheaper.
“I hope, and I think, that Yuki will get another chance. He will be reserve driver with us next year, you never know what’s going to happen.” – Laurent Mekies
Translation? We’ve binned you, but maybe if both our drivers crash simultaneously you might get another go. What inspiring leadership.
Albon’s Sympathy Tour: When Being Dumped Makes You the Expert
Alex Albon knows exactly what Tsunoda’s experiencing. Red Bull dropped him after 2020, shoved him into a reserve role for 2021, then watched him resurrect his career at Williams. Now he’s offering sympathy and career advice like some sort of F1 support group facilitator.
“I’m sad for Yuki. I think Yuki is an extremely talented driver. Personally, I think he deserves a place in F1.” – Alex Albon
Fair assessment from someone who survived similar treatment. Albon spent 2021 watching from the sidelines before Williams gave him another chance. He’s rebuilt his reputation brilliantly, proving Red Bull’s decision was spectacularly shortsighted.
But here’s the uncomfortable question. If Tsunoda’s so extremely talented and clearly deserves an F1 seat, why didn’t Williams hire him? Why hasn’t Alpine come calling? Why is nobody actually offering him the opportunity everyone insists he deserves?
Because praise is free. Race seats cost money. And F1 teams would rather sign cheaper juniors with longer careers ahead than invest in a 25-year-old who just got dropped by Red Bull.
The “Fellow Asians” Comment Nobody Asked For
Albon also delivered this peculiar nugget: “I guess I’m very biased towards the fellow Asians in the paddock.” Which is lovely solidarity but rather odd phrasing when discussing someone’s F1 career prospects.
Perhaps focus on Tsunoda’s actual talent rather than shared geography? Just a thought.
Steiner Defends the Abu Dhabi Weaving Nobody Else Liked
Tsunoda’s final act as a Red Bull driver was weaving across the track trying to block Norris during the championship decider. Multiple changes of direction. Breaking the tow. Moving left as Norris committed to the inside. Classic last-ditch defending that earned him a penalty whilst achieving absolutely nothing.
Guenther Steiner loved it. The former Haas team principal delivered a passionate defence on The Red Flags Podcast, calling it “fair racing” whilst sarcastically mocking the stewards for handing out penalties.
“This is racing. This is what we want to see, the spectator, the fans, want to see. I think Yuki was on the edge of what he did. Lando was on the edge with it. It all worked out well.” – Guenther Steiner
Brilliant logic, that. Tsunoda weaved dangerously. Norris went off track to avoid a collision. The stewards penalised the driver who broke the rules. But according to Steiner, enforcing regulations ruins the spectacle.
Perhaps that’s why Haas never challenged for championships whilst he was team principal?
Zak Brown delivered the opposing view during Sky Sports coverage, calling Tsunoda’s move “dangerous and unnecessary.” He’s not wrong. Using your departing driver to obstruct championship rivals is accepted practice. Weaving across the track at 250kph whilst someone’s trying to overtake is reckless.
The Reserve Role That’s Actually Career Purgatory
Red Bull’s keeping Tsunoda as a reserve driver for both the senior team and Racing Bulls. Which sounds like a meaningful role until you remember they’ve just hired two younger drivers who’ll get priority for any available seats.
Mekies pointed out that Red Bull’s “quite famous for making fairly swift driver decisions.” Fair enough. They dropped Tsunoda after two races in 2025 to promote him. Then dropped him again after one season to replace him with Hadjar. That’s definitely swift.
But the pattern suggests Tsunoda’s reserve role exists primarily to keep him under contract whilst Red Bull develops their actual future prospects. Arvid Lindblad’s joining Racing Bulls. Hadjar’s stepping up to Red Bull. Lawson’s secured his seat through 2026.
Where exactly does Tsunoda fit into that lineup? He doesn’t. Unless multiple drivers simultaneously collapse, his F1 career’s effectively finished.
When Everyone Agrees You’re Talented But Nobody Gives You a Seat
The most frustrating element of Tsunoda’s situation? Universal agreement that he deserves better combined with universal unwillingness to actually provide better.
Albon thinks he’s extremely talented. Mekies hopes he gets another chance. Steiner defended his aggressive racing. Even Helmut Marko, who’s leaving Red Bull after this season, presumably rates him enough to have kept him around for five years.
Yet here we are. Tsunoda’s got no race seat. No realistic prospects. Just a reserve role watching younger drivers take opportunities he apparently deserves.
That’s modern Formula 1. Praise costs nothing. Race seats require commitment. And teams would rather gamble on unproven juniors than invest in proven talent that’s slightly too old and slightly too expensive.
Perhaps Tsunoda can follow Albon’s path back to relevance? Or maybe he’ll join the long list of talented drivers who got chewed up by Red Bull’s ruthless driver programme then spat out when they stopped being convenient.
Either way, being called “extremely talented” whilst unemployed must feel absolutely brilliant.
