Yuki Tsunoda told why Racing Bulls isn’t an option for 2026 as Red Bull future ‘guarantee’ emerges

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Yuki Tsunoda’s options for the 2026 Formula 1 season are disappearing as he faces uncertainty around his Red Bull future.

The Japanese driver, who is out of contract in 2025, was supposed to know his fate after the Mexican GP. However, Red Bull want to avoid distractions as Max Verstappen fights for the championship, and they want Tsunoda to help secure them P2 in the constructors’ standings.

Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff could intervene with the team’s decision on their 2026 line-ups, with Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko needing his approval. While this affords Tsunoda time to save his seat, many believe the writing is on the wall.

With 25 points from 19 races in 2025, the Japanese driver has desperately underperformed at the Milton Keynes outfit. Red Bull are learning why Christian Horner was ‘negative’ about Tsunoda, as they have not been impressed with his technical feedback or racecraft.

Honda will speak to Red Bull as a last-ditch attempt to keep the 25-year-old on the grid. Isack Hadjar is the favourite to take Tsunoda’s seat, with there being a chance that he could return to Racing Bulls.

Robert Doornbos can ‘guarantee’ Yuki Tsunoda will leave Red Bull and Racing Bulls is not an option in 2026

But former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos says a move back to Faenza would not make sense, as the team is supposed to nurture young talent for a future promotion. He says Tsunoda is guaranteed to leave Red Bull and predicts him to head to IndyCar.

Talking about his performance at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he finished last on track, Doornbos said on The Pit Talk Podcast: “Let’s not forget Max was in front of him, and then you see your teammate disappear into the distance and then finish 1 minute, 9 seconds behind him.

“That’s just painful. What do you think the vibe is in the debrief room? Might as well skip the debrief. No, that’s too much.

“And the team has nothing they can do. They stick with Yuki until the end of the year. We can guarantee that Yuki doesn’t get the seat next year. That’s just a positive, that’s going to happen.

“So Yuki has to find a place somewhere else. They won’t take him back at Racing Bulls because that doesn’t make sense, Racing Bulls is all about giving young talent wings and taking them to the future.

“So Yuki could be done. Yuki can be a test driver at Austin Martin because it’s a Honda factory engine, maybe that Honda will support him.

“Honda also announced in the past that they’ve done enough for Yuki’s career to get him to a certain level where he has to prove himself without the backing of Honda. I would say the next option is IndyCar for Yuki.”

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

Yuki Tsunoda’s options for 2026 are dwindling fast

A return to Racing Bulls could still be on the cards for Tsunoda, with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad battling for a seat. Lindblad’s chances are improving for 2026, with Helmut Marko keen to get him into F1.

Alan Permane wants experience at Racing Bulls, which could help Tsunoda’s case, given that he has been in the sport for much longer. However, his poor results in 2025 and Lawson’s upturn in form since his demotion from Red Bull could be a deciding factor.

Aston Martin are also off the table for Tsunoda after they announced Jak Crawford as their reserve driver for 2026. Rumours suggested that Honda, who will supply the team’s engines next year, could get him a spot within the Silverstone squad.

With a seat in F1 being unlikely for 2026, the 25-year-old may have to pursue other motorsport categories. However, Tsunoda must not go to IndyCar, as history shows that it is rare for an F1 driver to return to the sport after venturing into North America.