Yuki Tsunoda is not hanging around after being denied a move to Red Bull and wants to help Isack Hadjar, just as Pierre Gasly once did for him.
Although he is still not happy about being passed over for the Red Bull promotion, Yuki Tsunoda is taking on his role in the small Racing Bulls team and wants to support rookie teammate Isack Hadjar – just as Pierre Gasly once helped him when he was new to Formula 1.
“If he’s in a difficult situation – which I hope doesn’t happen, of course – but if he has problems or whatever, then I’ll help him as best I can,” the Japanese driver promises.
He himself knows what it is like for Hadjar when you are new to Formula 1. Tsunoda made his debut for AlphaTauri in the premier class in 2021. He got on well with his then-team mate Pierre Gasly from the start, and the two are still good friends today.
He himself says that he didn’t necessarily ask the Frenchman what to do back then. “I just looked at how he behaves in the team, how he prepares for the race and things like that,” Tsunoda said. “As a driver, you kind of take that on automatically.”
“Isack is definitely fast, and I’m sure his situation is different from mine back then. So, we’ll see.”
Tsunoda is now entering his fifth season in the premier class and could be facing his last year with Red Bull, because engine partner Honda will be equipping Aston Martin from 2026 and the Japanese driver is likely to make way for the next rookie.
Racing Bulls hope for promotion
The Racing Bulls also make no secret of the fact that their time together could soon be over: “Part of our existence is to develop young drivers,” says racing director Alan Permane. “That’s why we’re here. Part of our job is to train young drivers for Red Bull.”
And with Arvid Lindblad, the next candidate is already in the starting blocks in Formula 2, just like Pepe Marti and Oliver Goethe, who are also hoping to be promoted as juniors in Formula 2.
At the same time, due to the new rules in 2026, Permane, like many other teams, would like to have stability among the drivers. Could this still be an opportunity for Tsunoda? “I can already see that he has developed compared to last year, especially in terms of mentality, focus and feedback,” he says. “He has already taken a big step forward compared to last season.”
“And if he can help and support Isack a little, I think that would be great.”
In the best-case scenario, however, Tsunoda would still be promoted to Red Bull: “My goal for Yuki and his own goal are completely aligned: we want to get him into a Red Bull cockpit,” emphasizes Permane. “If he performs well here, there is no reason why that shouldn’t happen.”
“All we can do – and all I can do – is help him to do his best here. And if he has performed strongly at the end of the season and deserves the next step, then everyone will be happy,” he says. ‘So our goals are the same. If he delivers for us, those doors will certainly open.’
Tsunoda and Lawson: “Still friends”
For 2025, however, Liam Lawson had been given preference. And although both had fought for the cockpit, there is no bad blood between Tsunoda and Lawson: “I wouldn’t say I’m happy for him – that would be kind of a lie,” Tsunoda admits. “But he definitely did what he had to do and he gave it his best shot.“
”He did 100 percent performance, and I did 100 percent performance. In the end, it was up to Red Bull how they wanted to manage that,” he says.
“It is what it is. As for our friendship, we are definitely still friends, we still write to each other, and I still enjoy talking to him. I think our friendship has actually never really changed.”
