What’s next for Yuki Tsunoda after Red Bull snub?

Yuki Tsunoda's F1 career has come to a standstill following Red Bull's decision to replace Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson.

What’s next for Yuki Tsunoda after Red Bull snub?

Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen (via Racingnews365)

Yuki Tsunoda has raced for Red Bull’s sister F1 team since 2021. The Japanese driver was once seen as a future prospect for Milton Keynes. However, fate has not been on the side of the 24-year-old. Uncertainty looms over Tsunoda’s career beyond 2025.

Red Bull Racing decided to promote Liam Lawson to replace Sergio Perez for 2025 instead of Yuki Tsunoda. Christian Horner did shed light on the reason for snubbing the 24-year-old in favor of Lawson for the Austrian team. Though, Tsunoda is far from happy with this decision.

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The Japanese driver’s current contract will see him till the end of 2025 at RB. Although, Red Bull is infamous for making mid-season changes as per its will. It is clear that time is running out for Yuki Tsunoda to save his future in Formula 1.

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Yuki Tsunoda needs to leave RB

The 24-year-old has delivered beyond expectations at RB in the past two seasons. Yuki Tsunoda managed to defeat Daniel Ricciardo consistently, forcing the Australian out of the grid. While he even essentially ended Nyck de Vries‘ short-lived career in Formula 1.

Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda (via Getty Images)
Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez (via Getty Images)

Yet, Yuki Tsunoda could not win over Milton Keynes for Checo’s seat. The 24-year-old is currently just a placeholder till RB can have another junior driver from Red Bull’s academy. As such, Tsunoda must land a spot at another team for 2026.

Aston Martin might seem the perfect place on paper considering Yuki Tsunoda’s ties to Honda. However, the 24-year-old would need Fernando Alonso to retire to grab the seat at Silverstone. Mercedes and Ferrari already have long-term plans for their driver line-ups, leaving no real place for Tsunoda at the front of the grid.

Though, with the influx of several rookies in 2025, the Japanese driver could potentially emerge as a more reliable candidate if any team faces a problem with young drivers. This might be the only hope at the moment for Yuki Tsunoda if he wants to stay on the grid beyond next season.

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