Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies keenly praised Yuki Tsunoda’s skills as a Formula 1 driver as his demotion to a test and reserve role was announced for 2026.
Tsunoda wasn’t helped by his dismal 2025 campaign, having replaced Lawson at Red Bull after the first two grands prix, so catastrophic was the New Zealander’s early form. The Japanese racer was soundly outperformed by Verstappen in both qualifying and races, to the extent that he has scored just 30 points at Red Bull, while the Dutchman is going into a three-way title showdown with a tally of 396.
Tsunoda wasn’t helped by his dismal 2025 campaign, having replaced Lawson at Red Bull after the first two grands prix, so catastrophic was the New Zealander’s early form. The Japanese racer was soundly outperformed by Verstappen in both qualifying and races, to the extent that he has scored just 30 points at Red Bull, while the Dutchman is going into a three-way title showdown with a tally of 396.
“Yuki has raced in Red Bull colours for seven years now and I have had the pleasure of working with him at both Red Bull teams,” Mekies said. “Through his five seasons so far in Formula 1, Yuki has matured into a complete racer, good over a single lap on Saturday and capable of exceptional starts and excellent race craft on Sunday.”
“Everyone in the sport would agree it is impossible not to like Yuki, his personality is infectious, and he has become a very special part of the Red Bull family,” the Frenchman added. “On behalf of everyone at Red Bull, I thank him for what he has contributed so far and we know he will provide invaluable support to the 2026 projects moving forwards.”
“Everyone in the sport would agree it is impossible not to like Yuki, his personality is infectious, and he has become a very special part of the Red Bull family,” the Frenchman added. “On behalf of everyone at Red Bull, I thank him for what he has contributed so far and we know he will provide invaluable support to the 2026 projects moving forwards.”
