Yuki Tsunoda contested his last Formula 1 race at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. The 25-year-old Japanese will have to hand over his Red Bull cockpit to Isack Hadjar next season, but will remain with the team as a reserve driver.
Now Tsunoda reveals that the news about his Formula 1 retirement definitely surprised him – and for good reason. “I was informed after the race in Qatar, but to be honest it didn’t seem real to me at first,” said this year’s Red Bull driver in an interview with “DAZN Japan”.
“I had prepared for this possibility, but the news was different from what I had been told before, so I was surprised,” Tsunoda emphasizes. “I understand that the decision may have been changed shortly before it was sent to me.”
“I’m sure there were many reasons for that.” Nevertheless, the Red Bull driver coped well with the news. “But when they told me that I wouldn’t have a cockpit next year, it wasn’t the end of the world. We still had Abu Dhabi ahead of us, so I was just thinking about the next race.”
“There’s a chance that my next year won’t just be limited to simulator and substitute driver tasks. I’ve heard of a few possible scenarios,” the Japanese hints, slightly mysteriously. What exactly he means, however, remains unclear.
What Tsunoda was “really impressed” with at Red Bull
Tsunoda initially started the 2025 season with Racing Bulls, but switched to Red Bull after just two races, which allows him to make an interesting comparison between the two Formula 1 teams. “There were definitely parts that were more difficult than I imagined,” he says.
“The team structure is similar to that of Racing Bulls, but there were also things that were completely different. I was surprised at how big the difference really was,” emphasizes Tsunoda, who even joked: “The hotels have become much nicer!”
“A big difference is that when the car is not running well, they are not afraid to make big set-up changes,” says the Japanese about Red Bull. “They are ready to be aggressive, even before qualifying or in moments that could influence the championship. That really impressed me.”
He explains that Tsunoda often looked worse compared to his teammate Max Verstappen with several factors, in particular the delayed introduction of new parts. “I think this was the closest season in F1 history. A tenth of a second could move you two or three positions forward or back, so the impact of updates was huge.”
“Even a gap of two or three tenths to Max could mean a difference of five to seven places, and that changes the results drastically,” recalls the Red Bull driver. “Giving feedback and showing my value in this environment was particularly difficult.”
Tsunoda engineers “don’t have that much experience”
In addition, Verstappen engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is not only responsible for the Dutchman, but as “Head of Racing” at Red Bull, he is also responsible for other tasks within the team, including Tsunoda’s car. And that wasn’t always easy, reveals the Japanese.
“GP is honestly one of the most impressive engineers I’ve ever worked with. His ideas are incredible,” says Tsunoda. “He also looks after my chassis, but if Max has difficulties, of course he has to concentrate on that.”
“My engineering team is very capable, but they just don’t have that much experience, so sometimes we needed help. But I couldn’t always ask for it.” Tsunoda apparently felt several times that Verstappen was the focus of the team.
“I listened to how GP and Max communicate during FP1 and it’s just completely different. You immediately notice how efficiently everything is happening. I wanted to have that kind of communication too,” admits the 25-year-old. “If you have to clarify things with someone else first, you’re one step behind.”
And that’s exactly what happened to him this season. Nevertheless, Tsunoda draws a positive conclusion: “I think this was the year in which I grew the most – both as a person and as a driver. I made a lot of progress, especially mentally. It was an intense year.”
Yuki Tsunoda “still has a lot of development potential”
In recent years, the Japanese has attracted attention several times for his outbursts of anger on the radio. “In terms of emotional control, no matter what happened, I was able to refocus, concentrate on my performance and deliver,” he says.
“I didn’t let any mental or situational pressure get me down, thanks to the support of my manager and coach.” In the end, however, that wasn’t enough to secure his Red Bull cockpit for the coming season.
What happens next? “For the moment I’ll rest and then start training for next season,” he says – and looks ahead hopefully: “I’m only 25, so I still have a lot of development potential. This is just the beginning.”
“Maybe a chapter will change, but I’m excited to see how I can develop from here. I’ll see things I couldn’t see before, learn from a different perspective, and I’m looking forward to that. My motivation for next year is incredibly high.”