Christian Horner hints at Yuki Tsunoda release from Red Bull
Red Bull could let Yuki Tsunoda go at the end of his current F1 contract, Christian Horner has admitted.
Christian Horner has suggested that Red Bull could release Yuki Tsunoda at the end of the 2025 F1 season.
Tsunoda was overlooked by Red Bull, who instead opted to promote Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson to race alongside Max Verstappen next year after Sergio Perez was axed following a weak season.
The 24-year-old Japanese driver, who outqualified Lawson in all six races they contested together in 2024, will instead remain at sister team Racing Bulls for the final year of his contract.
For the first time Red Bull team principal Horner has admitted that Tsunoda could be let go if he is not needed by the senior team.
“We're acutely aware that if we're not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki – being, in all honesty, this year [2025] - does it make sense [to keep him]?” Horner told media including The Race.
“You can't have a driver in the support team for five years. You can't always be the bridesmaid. You've either got to let them go at that point or look at something different.”
Horner said he had spoken with Tsunoda about the “very tight” call and insisted the Honda-backed driver was focused on continuing to prove he deserves a shot at Red Bull.
“He said he was enjoying having some wagyu beef while he was on his time out, but his motivation was to demonstrate that he warrants that opportunity,” Horner said.
“The Racing Bulls team will hopefully make a step forward again next year as they utilise the [Red Bull] rear suspension and the gearbox, and the aspects that they're allowed to use. As that team and new management matures, that team will naturally take a step forward.
“I think he's very determined. He knows that things change very quickly. Who would've thought nine months ago we'd be sitting here talking about Liam Lawson being our driver for 2025?
“Things change quickly in this industry and he's aware of that and knows that he needs to be the one demonstrating that he's the one knocking on the door.”
What other options does Tsunoda have?
As we discussed when the news first broke on Thursday, Tsunoda finds himself at an F1 career crossroads following his snub.
Perhaps the most intriguing option for Tsunoda, were he to decide to cut ties with Red Bull, would come at Aston Martin.
Excitingly, Aston Martin are about to become Honda’s works F1 team when the Japanese manufacturer takes over their power unit supply from Mercedes as part of a deal from 2026.
Tsunoda has already found himself linked to Aston Martin as a result of being a Honda-backed driver.
But such a move would ultimately depend on factors outside of Tsunoda’s control. The first is whether Fernando Alonso will continue to race in F1, and the other is dependent on whether Lance Stroll is kept on.
Haas and Audi were known to have shown interest in Tsunoda prior to signing Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg respectively, and he is likely to have several admirers.
Two seats are also set to open up at Cadillac when the American brand joins the grid as F1’s 11th team in 2026.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
