Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda has opened up about his uncertain future in the team, considering that his contract expires at the end of 2025. Tsunoda admitted that his future is in the hands of Red Bull and that he will “have to keep fighting” for points finishes on the race track to improve his chances of securing a seat in 2026.
The Japanese driver secured the Red Bull seat early this season, just before his home race at Suzuka. While his goal of racing alongside Max Verstappen was fulfilled, Tsunoda found himself in troubled waters as he struggled to adapt to the RB21 F1 car.
Reportedly built around Verstappen, Red Bull’s cars have been proven to be difficult for his teammates in the current ground effect era, as seen in the case of Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson. Red Bull has yet to finalize the four-time world champion’s teammate for the 2026 season. When Tsunoda was asked if he was doing enough to secure a contract extension, he said:
“Whether it’s enough or it’s not enough, it’s up to them. I’m just squeezing the performance from the current package I’ve got. I’m just pushing every single room that they gave me, and it’s clear that I’m able to make the progress race by race.
“But also at the same time, we need the points. That’s something that we can see clearly on the paper and that’s what I’m working on. So overall, I don’t know. It’s up to them, I just have to keep pushing.”
The 25-year-old driver’s qualifying pace has closed the gap to that of Verstappen’s, but his main focus is now on securing points. In the last ten Grands Prix, Tsunoda has scored just three points, with his best finish of P9 at the Dutch GP.
Despite the incidents with other drivers in recent races that came in the way of his performance, he understands the gravity of the situation, revealing that he must believe in himself and keep fighting. He added:
“It’s a tough situation but at the same time [my] quali lap is getting better and better. There are some positives, which help me a lot.
“But long runs, there’s room that I can work on a little bit more, but at the same time, like [the Italian GP], which didn’t help me from the damage, it’s not easy.
“But I just have to keep fighting and turn up and believe in myself.”
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