Yuki Tsunoda’s Formula 1 career is hanging by a thread as he enters the final race of the 2025 season in Abu Dhabi.
The Japanese driver was called up to Red Bull after just two races in 2025. Liam Lawson, who was picked over him to replace Sergio Perez, was demoted back to Racing Bulls after a torrid start to the season.
The RB21 proved to be a difficult car to handle for Lawson, and Tsunoda inherited that struggle when he stepped into the seat. Q1 exits and pointless finishes have been common for the 25-year-old, while Max Verstappen finds himself fighting for the title with the McLarens.
Before the Qatar Grand Prix, Tsunoda had scored just 28 points for Red Bull, with his future with the team being under threat. But his weekend at the Lusail International Circuit did bear some improvements.
Yuki Tsunoda says he showed he was close to Max Verstappen in Qatar, but it is too late to save his F1 career
Tsunoda outqualified Verstappen for the first time as a Red Bull driver during Sprint qualifying as he lined up P5. He held the position to score four points on Saturday.
Grand Prix qualifying brought back his old struggles as he was knocked out in Q1. Tsunoda managed to claw his way into the points by finishing 10th, helped by Isack Hadjar’s late retirement, and he was left happy with the gap he had shown to Verstappen.
Tsunoda said to the media after the race: “Yeah, I mean, Sprint qualifying was very strong, qualifying, I mean, yeah, didn’t have the pace or didn’t have the shape that I was looking for from the car or the pace.
“But even that, if you look at it, I was still three tenths behind Max, which is normally, it’s easy to go through Q3.
“I’ve shown I think it’s very, very close with him, between him. So, I just keep [doing] what I’m doing. I’ll make another step into Abu Dhabi and hopefully I can help him as much as possible.”
While Tsunoda was much closer to Verstappen in terms of qualifying and race pace, it came far too late to save his F1 career. His lack of performance for most of the season has cost him and his team in the championship, and an improved display in Qatar will do little to help his case.
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Yuki Tsunoda faces falling off the grid in 2026
With the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix approaching, Red Bull are set to announce their driver line-up for the 2026 season. Reports indicate that Tsunoda will not be part of the team’s plans moving forward.
Hadjar looks set to partner with Verstappen at Red Bull next year. The Frenchman has hugely impressed during his rookie campaign and looks set for a promotion.
Lawson looks on course to keep his seat at Racing Bulls, while F2 star Arvid Lindblad is in position to join the F1 grid with the Faenza outfit. That leaves Tsunoda without a seat and out of the sport for 2026.
With no seats available, he faces having to sign on as a reserve driver or wave goodbye to F1 and start afresh in a new category.
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