Yuki Tsunoda Targeting Shock Return to F1 With Two Teams After Red Bull Axe
Yuki Tsunoda is already preparing to return to Formula One amid links to two teams after losing his seat with Red Bull.
After just two races in the 2025 season, Red Bull Racing decided to sack Liam Lawson, demoting him to Racing Bulls while promoting Tsunoda to partner star driver Max Verstappen.
Unfortunately, the move didn't exactly go as well as they may have hoped, with the Japanese driver also struggling to perform in the second Red Bull seat.
Because of this, Red Bull decided that they would not continue with Tsunoda as their second driver for the upcoming season, with youngster Isack Hadjar promoted for 2026.
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The news of course raised questions about Tsunoda's future in the sport, but we may finally know his plans as he is reportedly targeting a return to the grid with one of two teams.
For the 2026 season, Tsunoda will work as the test and reserve driver for both Red Bull Racing and the Racing Bull, with the 25-year-old expected to look to join another team as a starting driver ahead of the 2027 season.
And according to Japanese media, via the Express, Tsunoda and his team think that both Haas and Alpine are the most realistic and "attractive" options for his next team.
Although both teams have confirmed lineups as it stand, it's believed that Tsunoda thinks that a space to join either team for the 2027 season or even sooner could become available.
At Haas, it is widely expected that youngster Oliver Bearman will join Ferrari in the near future, likely as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton should he decide to retire.
Meanwhile Alpine driver Franco Colapinto is facing pressure heading into 2026 after his disappointing performances last year.
Tsunoda was previously linked with Haas back in 2024 after team principal Ayao Komatsu considered signing his countryman before settling on a driver pairing of Bearman and Esteban Ocon.
However, if Tsunoda wanted a move to the American team to materialise, he would likely have to ditch long-term sponsor Honda who helped to fund his place in the Red Bull system due to Haas' partnership and sponsorship agreement with their Japanese rivals Toyota.
But it appears that Komatsu isn't prepared to rule out the possibility of signing Tsunoda in the future after he was asked if might later revive that interest.
Komatsu said: "I can't comment on his future. Obviously, he's not our driver. 2027? I think we have to focus on '26 with our drivers and with brand-new regulations.
"I think most of the drivers knew that, obviously, as they wanted to see how '26 pans out and they wanted to pick a better team for '27.
"That's why the driver market is going to be so open for '27. So to put ourselves in a better position, our best position, the important thing is we've got to have a competitive '26 season. That's our focus."
Topics: Formula 1, Red Bull Racing, Alpine, Motorsport
Ben McCrum