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Yuki Tsunoda was uncertain whether he could turn around his performance in the current Red Bull car. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, ahead of the 2025 Azerbaijan GP, the Japanese driver also stressed that the RB21 was not built specifically to suit Max Verstappen.
Speculation has been rife heading into the Baku weekend about Tsunoda potentially being replaced by Isack Hadjar for the 2026 season at Red Bull Racing. His options for the following year appear limited, with one of the key issues being his struggles to adapt to the RB21, a car widely believed to suit his Dutch teammate more than himself.
Tsunoda admitted that he was not fully confident about retaining his Red Bull seat beyond 2025. He emphasized that self-belief was crucial, particularly in trusting his own abilities to deliver consistent performances.
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While the upcoming 2026 regulation changes are expected to produce cars designed to suit both Red Bull drivers equally, Yuki Tsunoda did not see it as particularly encouraging. He maintained that the 2025 car was not tailored to Verstappen either, but acknowledged that Verstappen’s experience and long tenure with Red Bull have given him greater confidence to adapt setups and extract the maximum performance.
When asked by Sportskeeda if he was confident about turning around his season in the remaining races to make his case for 2026, Yuki Tsunoda said:
“How confident… I don't know, but just to keep believing in myself in this moment, you know, like it's only, I know what I can do, what I can deliver, so I don't know the confidence things, how much I can stay, or whatever, but just keep fight against the people, and just, like, just try my best.
"Try to improve myself as much as possible, and yeah, that's it. It's just, I don't know how much confidence I have, how much confidence I can stay [here] next year, but it's just the only thing I can control, so I just only focus on that.”
Asked if the 2026 car was a consideration to make his case for a contract renewal to suit him better, Yuki Tsunoda said:
“With that 2026 car, yeah, maybe, I mean, I wouldn't say this car is built for Max, it's just, the only thing, he drove this car [for] a long time, and I just drove this car this year, a bit of a season, so, I mean, I think he, first of all, he's an incredible driver.
"Second thing, it's just, he knows what he can deliver from each setup, which is good. So, I mean, probably when the regulation change [takes place], maybe he's got a new driving style, and maybe the picture is going to be different. But, yeah, I'll see once I've been in that situation and been driving this car, driving this team's car.”
Yuki Tsunoda dismisses chances of returning to Racing Bull, highlights Red Bull 2026 as a priority
Yuki Tsunoda has ruled out the prospect of returning to Racing Bulls should he lose his Red Bull seat for 2026. Helmut Marko has already indicated that the Japanese driver was under growing pressure to improve, with a decision on the team’s line-up expected by the Mexican GP.
Tsunoda, however, insisted that speculation over his future was not his concern, stressing that his focus remained on improving results on track. He added that a demotion to Red Bull’s junior outfit was not something he considered an option, describing that chapter of his career as firmly behind him.
When asked if Marko’s warning for the Mexican GP fazed him, Yuki Tsunoda said:
“I’m not really thinking much about the future to be honest. Every race is crucial this moment, that’s true. But I just keep delivering the results, showing some brightness every race, and let them decide what they want to do.
"The only things I’m thinking about is staying with Red Bull next year, so I’m not really thinking much on the situation of going back to Racing Bulls or whatever. t’s a team I stayed with for a lot of years, and I know the people, but at the same time, I moved on already to another chapter.”
Speculations continue to mount around Yuki Tsunoda’s future, with suggestions that he could be replaced by Isack Hadjar in 2026. The Red Bull Racing driver has struggled to match teammate Max Verstappen since his promotion from Racing Bulls, collecting just nine points this season with Red Bull and three previously with Racing Bulls. By contrast, Verstappen has amassed 230 points and sits third in the drivers’ standings.
Tsunoda is not the only driver under scrutiny. Liam Lawson could also have a new teammate, with reports linking F2 prospect Arvid Lindblad to a potential promotion. Both Red Bull and Racing Bulls maintain there is no rush to finalize their line-ups, but speculation points strongly towards Hadjar and Lindblad stepping up for 2026.
