Tsunoda hints at F1 2026 future amid expected Red Bull move for Hadjar

Yuki Tsunoda has hinted that he already knows where his Formula 1 future lies after what has been the worst campaign of his five-season career.

The 25-year-old has struggled since joining Red Bull from sister outfit Racing Bulls for round three of the 2025 campaign, as Tsunoda is 17th in the championship with only six points finishes. 

That is compared to team-mate Max Verstappen who is in contention for the title ahead of the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, having been more in-tune with the difficult RB21 than Tsunoda.

The Japanese racer has even been consistently beaten by Racing Bulls duo Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, meaning Tsunoda is not yet signed for next year.

Red Bull previously announced that it will confirm the driver pairings across both teams at the end of the season, but it is an open secret which direction it will go.

Hadjar is expected to become Verstappen’s team-mate after an impressive rookie year that included a Zandvoort podium, while F2’s Arvid Lindblad could partner Lawson at Racing Bulls. However, there appears to still be a small chance that Tsunoda will be kept within the fold for 2026.

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

It leaves Tsunoda without a drive given the other nine teams have already confirmed their 2026 pairings and, ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, he seemed to confirm that prediction.

“I know something that I can’t share, but most people know it - I’m in a similar understanding with you guys,” Tsunoda told Viaplay, even though he quickly added, “I don’t know what’s going to happen, so let’s see.”

Tsunoda was then asked if he has a “Plan B” in case he is out of F1 next year, to which he replied: “No, not really. I’m only thinking about this race. It’s not made yet, it’s still in my hands and I'll just try to support Max as much as possible and if I’m able to achieve, that’ll naturally be positive for my future so I’ll just aim for that.”

Although Red Bull said the announcement will come post-Abu Dhabi, Hadjar seemingly hinted in Qatar that it will come beforehand, saying “apparently it’s now decided one round before the end of the season”.

He did so with the kind of swagger of somebody who knows that they are set for a move into one of F1’s top teams, making it understandable that he is relaxed about the final rounds. 

“Absolutely not,” said the 21-year-old, when asked if his performances in Qatar and Abu Dhabi could have any bearing on his future. 

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

“You don't decide based on whether it's 22 or 23 races - you take the average. That's how you take a decision. So, I can have the worst weekend in history. Now, it's not going to change anything.”

Hadjar, who is ninth in the championship, even sees next year as the perfect time to make the move given 2026 will introduce new regulations. This means every driver, regardless of who their team is, will have to adapt and the Frenchman thinks that is a strength of his.

“It's good, perfect, because I keep changing cars every year,” he said. “In my life, I never repeated a season with the same car - it never happened to me.

“I don't know what it's like to have two seasons, even when I did two years of F2, there was a change in the regulations. It was a brand new car. Same in F4. So, I don't know what it's like.”