Yuki Tsunoda now increasingly seems to be on borrowed time with Red Bull, having so far failed to show the team why he deserves a new contract for the 2026 F1 season.
The 25-year-old is one of five current drivers without contracts for next term, as Red Bull did not extend his deal after replacing Liam Lawson. Mercedes pilots George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, plus Racing Bulls pair Isack Hadjar and Lawson are also due to be free agents.
It seems unlikely that, unlike his four contemporaries, Tsunoda will receive a contract for the 2026 F1 season. The Japanese star has struggled since joining Red Bull from Racing Bulls in March. He has scored just seven points since the move, and zero from the last seven rounds.
Red Bull will give Tsunoda the rest of 2025 to, potentially, improve his performances. Yet the clock is arguably already ticking down towards his farewell, with motorsport adviser Helmut Marko urging Red Bull to replace Tsunoda with Hadjar as Max Verstappen’s 2026 teammate.
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull are now interested in McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne
Hadjar is the favourite to replace Tsunoda if Red Bull make a change to their driver line-up in 2026. Yet the 20-year-old Frenchman is not their only potential option, as Red Bull could put Arvid Lindblad into their 2026 line-up instead of placing their academy talent at Racing Bulls.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN/AN/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN/AN/ARacing BullsN/AN/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers
Another potential option to replace Tsunoda has also emerged, as Ran reports that Red Bull are now showing an interest in McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne. The 19-year-old is seen as a wildcard option to replace Tsunoda, having caught their attention via his Formula 2 results.
It is considered ‘highly doubtful’ that Red Bull will risk fielding a rookie next season with the introduction of F1’s 2026 regulations. Yet Dunne is seen as an outside ‘possibility’ to replace Tsunoda, if Red Bull do not believe Hadjar is ready or want to offer Lawson a second chance.
Alex Dunne could follow Gabriel Bortoleto in leaving McLaren to become an F1 driver
Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
Dunne would be the second McLaren junior in as many seasons to step up from F2 to F1 for a different team if Red Bull were to sign the Irishman. McLaren freed Gabriel Bortoleto from his academy contract to agree a multi-year factory Audi deal and debut with Sauber in 2025.
READ MORE: Who is McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne? Everything you need to know
Bortoleto left the McLaren stable as there was no room at the papaya inn, with Lando Norris locked in through 2028 and Oscar Piastri also tied down. McLaren also handed Piastri a new contract this January that tied the Australian down through 2030, rather than through 2026.
Norris and Piastri’s long-term McLaren contracts will likely make Dunne consider his future, and may open a door for Red Bull to make a move for his signature. Cadillac have shown an interest in Dunne, as well, after enjoying a stellar rookie campaign in Formula 2 this season.
Dunne sits fifth in the F2 standings with four rounds to go, trailing leader Leonardo Fornaroli by 30 points. He also earned Feature Race wins in Bahrain and Imola, plus Sprint podiums in Saudi Arabia (P3), Spain, Britain and Hungary (P2), and he took pole in Monaco and Belgium.
Additionally, Dunne made his F1 weekend debut in Austria when he replaced Norris during FP1 and lapped within 0.069s of Piastri’s best time. Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard believes Dunne is the “real deal”, too, having proven to be an “exciting” prospect this term.