Yuki Tsunoda’s future with Red Bull is in the balance and the Japanese driver is fighting for his place on the 2026 grid after Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies refused to offer any assurances
18:03, 05 Sep 2025Updated 18:05, 05 Sep 2025
Yuki Tsunoda could lose his spot on the grid(Image: Mark Thompson, Getty Images)
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has repeatedly refused to dismiss the possibility of Yuki Tsunoda being dropped from the Formula 1 grid.
The Japanese driver is battling for his future after scoring a mere nine points since he was appointed as Max Verstappen’s team-mate.
This change occurred two rounds into the season, with Tsunoda promoted to replace Liam Lawson who was underperforming. However, despite having significantly more experience than the Kiwi, he too has failed to accumulate enough points to secure his spot on the 2026 grid with Red Bull Racing.
Tsunoda did compete for most of the season without the same spec car as Verstappen, but has shown improvement in recent races. Since taking over from Christian Horner as team principal, Mekies has ensured their second driver has more current equipment, and as a result, he has been able to get closer to the Dutchman.
Yuki Tsunoda is under pressure at Red Bull(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
However, the pressure on him remains high, only heightened by the performance of Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman has been extremely impressive in his debut season with junior team Racing Bulls, even achieving his first F1 podium at Zandvoort last time out.
It is believed that Hadjar is the front-runner to be Verstappen’s team-mate next year as a result. But Mekies maintains that he is not in a hurry to decide his duo for the 2026 campaign, reports the Mirror.
He said: “We have made no secret, we feel we have time to take a decision. We don’t think anything is pressing us. Obviously, we are looking with a great smile at Isack’s progress – I think he has been outstanding.
“We are equally seeing Yuki being able to do a significant step forward in the last few races. We have all the cards on our side, so there is no need for us to rush.”
A move up for Hadjar wouldn’t automatically spell an F1 departure for Tsunoda, as demoting him back to Racing Bulls remains a possibility. However, it’s unclear whether there would be room for him there, with Lawson expected to secure an extension and promising teenager Arvid Lindblad being groomed for a step up from Formula 2.
Laurent Mekies said he won’t rush to make a decision(Image: AP)
Mekies was questioned twice about whether Tsunoda could return to Racing Bulls but, on both occasions, avoided giving a straight response. He replied: “We do not really have to take those decisions now. We have the luxury to be able to look at how our drivers are going to evolve in the next few races. We may not want to wait until the last race, fair enough, but we have the luxury to see how they are going to evolve.
“I have said, Isack has done a very good step forward and we will decide in a few weeks. I can only talk about Red Bull Racing, but I am confident that, for both teams, why would we make the decision now, one way or another? We have the cards and we give our drivers in both teams a few more races to show what they can show to us.”