One F1 driver named as surprise pick to lose race seat

Yuki Tsunoda will be the first driver to lose their F1 seat this year, according to Jacques Villeneuve. 

That is the prediction made by the 1997 F1 world champion, who feels the Japanese racer will leave the grid when his Racing Bulls contract expires at the end of the season.

Tsunoda was overlooked by Red Bull as the senior squad instead favoured to bring in teammate Liam Lawson as Sergio Perez’s replacement for the upcoming campaign, despite only contesting 11 grands prix spread over two seasons.

As a direct result of that decision, Tsunoda will now spend a fifth term at Red Bull’s sister outfit Racing Bulls.

“Tsunoda will be the first driver to leave the grid,” Villeneuve told Action Network. “He’s only there because of Honda.

“At some point this will stop. And the writing is quite clear that this is his last season with the Red Bull family anyway.

“I don't see any team wanting him unless there's a big Honda push.”

Honda’s current power unit supply deal with Red Bull will cease at the end of the year as the team builds their own engine for the 2026 regulation cycle, acting as a further blow for Tsunoda.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hinted at Tsunoda leaving the Red Bull family at the end of 2025.

"We're acutely aware that if we're not able to provide an opportunity for Yuki [at Red Bull] in all honesty this year, does it [keeping him on] make sense?," Horner said.

"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."

Carlos Sainz tipped to be ‘biggest surprise’

Meanwhile, Villeneuve has backed Carlos Sainz to have a starring role at Williams during his first season with the team.

Sainz joined Williams on a multi-year deal to partner Alex Albon after having to vacate his Ferrari seat for the incoming Lewis Hamilton.

“I'm curious to see Sainz with Williams. His first tests were impressive because the car went faster than it had been before. And he's generally been a team builder, everywhere he's been,” Villeneuve added.

“So let's see if in a team that really needs it, let's see what the effect is. It could be an amazing step forward which sees them be the biggest surprise of the year.”