Yuki Tsunoda shares the only ‘regret’ he has about joining Red Bull this season

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Yuki Tsunoda is about to embark on his last weekend as a Formula 1 driver for the foreseeable future at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Japanese driver has been dropped by Red Bull heading into the 2026 F1 regulations and will be replaced by current rookie Isack Hadjar.

He sits just 15th in the drivers’ championship, having struggled to get a real grasp of the RB21 since the first time he got into the car.

Now, Tsunoda will continue to contribute to their project, albeit as a test and reserve driver. With five seasons of experience, he’ll be a valuable commodity.

Alex Albon thinks Tsunoda deserves a spot in Formula 1 and that he has been unfortunate to land in the situation that he has.

Tsunoda could return in 2026 in the event that one of Red Bull’s four drivers have to miss a race, but he’ll be on the sidelines in a full-time capacity until the following year at the very least.

READ MORE: Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda announcement shows they’ve finally learned from Daniel Ricciardo debacle

Yuki Tsunoda has ‘regret’ about not getting to drive Racing Bulls’ car after Red Bull promotion

Tsunoda suffered from a ‘classic’ Red Bull problem that also hurt Sergio Perez during his final seasons with them. The rear of their car is too unstable to have any confidence in.

It’s hard to tell what he might have achieved if he had been in the Racing Bulls car, but it feels fair to assume that in more familiar surroundings and a more predictable car, he would’ve done better.

Looking back on the campaign, the 25-year-old has now shared his only ‘regret’ about accepting a promotion to Red Bull.

“I’m disappointed obviously and p—– off and how I was told was it was right after the race, from Helmut, yeah, privately, that I’m not going to race next year, so I think that’s it,” he told Motorsport.com.

“Probably, I was saying that I didn’t have any regrets. The only regret I have is missing out that pretty good f—— car, but also throwing away your kids, your baby, because it’s the car that I developed with the team throughout the years since we had this regulation, and I’m sure there’s my DNA inside as well.”

READ MORE: Why Isack Hadjar won’t replace Yuki Tsunoda for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix despite getting Red Bull seat

Did Yuki Tsunoda ever have a chance of staying at Red Bull for 2026?

Red Bull delayed their decision for as long as they could, but ultimately, they couldn’t keep the saga going any longer.

Laurent Mekies was ‘really struggling’ to drop Tsunoda, having worked closely with him for nearly two years.

Red Bull rejected an offer from Honda that could have seen him go back to Racing Bulls for 2026, but that wasn’t a part of their plans.

Now, he’ll be left to see how the Formula 1 driver market plays out for 2027, hoping that someone is willing to take a gamble on him again in the future.