Ralf Schumacher admits ‘lucky’ £2.2m-a-year driver will ‘definitely not’ be on the 2026 F1 grid

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Ralf Schumacher believes one ‘lucky’ driver currently on the grid won’t be racing in Formula 1 next season.

The F1 driver market wasn’t expected to be a major talking point this year, considering how many teams started the 2025 campaign with new line-ups.

Only McLaren and Aston Martin retained both of their drivers from last year, and Red Bull and Alpine have already made mid-season switches.

Ahead of 2026, six seats are still available on the grid, although Mercedes look set to retain both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli for at least another year.

It means the remaining quartet are still at risk, although Isack Hadjar is expected to race for Red Bull, leaving Yuki Tsunoda at risk.

Liam Lawson’s reputation among Red Bull chiefs is wavering, but Ralf Schumacher thinks his Red Bull colleague, Tsunoda, could be in real trouble when the driver market shakes out at the end of the current campaign.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Yuki Tsunoda told he will ‘definitely not’ be at Red Bull next year with his F1 future in doubt

Schumacher was taking part in an interview with t-online ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

He was asked if fans will see Tsunoda at Red Bull next year and answered: “Definitely not.

“He’s lucky that the team has already announced they want to finish the season with him.

“Something fundamental would have to change in the coming races for him to stay, but I fear Tsunoda will continue driving as he has been – and won’t even have a Formula 1 cockpit next year.”

Schumacher was then asked whether he would advise against Hadjar accepting a Red Bull promotion, given how other drivers have struggled alongside Max Verstappen and continued: “Yes, that’s what I said at the beginning too!

“But first of all, I believe that a talented, young driver like Hadjar has to learn how to assert himself at a team like Red Bull.

“In a car like the current one, which Verstappen developed together with the team, that’s obviously difficult.

“That’s why I say: If Hadjar had to get into the same car as Tsunoda today, Red Bull would have destroyed him too. But: next year, everything will be reset to zero.”

Finally, Schumacher was asked whether he believed Red Bull would address the issues that have hampered Tsunoda, who earns £2.2m-a-year, before Hadjar’s imminent promotion and concluded: “Exactly. That means: Max starts from scratch, his new teammate starts from scratch, and everyone can contribute and get the setup they need.

“Plus, Hadjar has the speed needed. If he also suits the new concept, he’s certainly the easiest, most obvious solution as Max Verstappen’s teammate.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Will Yuki Tsunoda be offered a lifeline by another team if he leaves Red Bull?

There are theoretically three options for Tsunoda to stay in Formula 1 if Red Bull drop him at the end of the season.

Tsunoda has been touted to return to Racing Bulls, leaving Lawson without a seat if they promote the highly-rated F2 star Arvid Lindblad.

Whether it makes any logical sense for the 25-year-old to join Red Bull’s development team is another matter, as once a driver is demoted, they never return to the senior outfit.

Pierre Gasly would like Alpine to sign Tsunoda, as his current teammate, Franco Colapinto, doesn’t have a contract for 2026.

It would reunite one of the paddock’s favourite pairings and give Alpine another experienced driver.

Finally, Honda’s move to start exclusively working with Aston Martin could provide Tsunoda with the opportunity to join the team as a reserve driver.

Lance Stroll’s commitment to Formula 1 has been questioned, which could open the door for a return for Tsunoda.