Back on Track: Tsunoda vows a comeback after Red Bull reshuffles the 2026 lineup

Return plan and 2026 changes

Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has pledged to return to Formula 1 as a full-time racer after Red Bull decided to drop him for the 2026 season and replace him with Frenchman Isaac Hijjar. The move was described by Tsunoda as very hard, but he vowed to keep fighting to prove he deserves a seat on the grid again.

Future role and context

The Austrian team confirmed last Tuesday that Hijjar would take Tsunoda's seat in 2026, with 18-year-old British driver Arvid Linblad set to fill the Frenchman’s vacant Racing Bulls seat in Red Bull’s junior program, alongside New Zealander Liam Lawson.

With seats for 2026 now confirmed, Tsunoda will miss a full season after five years in Formula 1, moving to a test and reserve driver role with Red Bull next year.

In his first public remarks since the announcement, Tsunoda admitted that losing his seat was hard but vowed to return in the future, saying 'finding out I wouldn’t have a seat in 2026 was tough, but I am more determined than ever to work with Red Bull as a test and reserve driver to develop with the team, and prove I deserve a place on the starting grid'.

He added that life is full of setbacks, and this is his setback. It won't stop him from becoming the best Formula 1 driver he can be.

The Japanese driver endured a tough year with Red Bull, scoring just 30 points, while his Dutch teammate Max Verstappen remains in the world title race, second behind McLaren's Lando Norris ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale.

Punchline 1: If at first you don’t succeed in F1, try a pit stop—it's cheaper than therapy and twice as fast. Punchline 2: In the grand theatre of F1, Tsunoda’s comeback is basically a download—watch for the speed boost when the grid reloads.