It was a “very hard” decision, according to Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies, to demote Yuki Tsunoda from the race seat of 2026 Formula 1 season and he also stated that the driver from Japan may probably return to the track one day. Mekies’ statement was in line with Red Bull confirming its 2026 driver line, ups whereby Tsunoda was moved to the role of a test and reserve driver at Red Bull and Racing Bulls, his sister team.
Tsunoda’s season and the changes for 2026
The 25, year, old could only score very limited points and ended up as the seventeenth in the drivers’ championship with his best result being a sixth, place finish in Azerbaijan. After Sergio Perez left Red Bull at the end of 2024, Tsunoda and Liam Lawson were involved in a seat swap between Red Bull and Racing Bulls early in the season. Despite some bright moments, Red Bull made a final decision that Isack Hadjar will take over Tsunoda’s race seat for 2026 while the latter will continue as a reserve driver.
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Mekies backs Tsunoda’s resilience and future chances
While Mekies was relaying the call, he emphasized that Red Bull is known for making quick changes in its drivers and that chances can pop up in Formula 1 just like that. He mentioned that he wishes and trusts that Tsunoda will be given ‘another opportunity’ to be a full, time race driver again, as he pointed out that a setback is not a definition of the drivers career.
The broader context of Red Bull’s driver strategy
The driver shuffle illustrates the heat at the top of the fiercely competitive and unforgiving world of Formula 1. Both Red Bull and Racing Bulls have been changing their strategies for 2026, with the changes inside the team reflecting the current performance, development work, and the long, term plans. With the decision to relegate Tsunoda to a reserve driver and promote Hadjar to a race seat, Red Bull is stating that they are willing to make tough decisions to achieve their goals, but also that they care about Tsunoda enough to keep him as part of their broader driver program.
