Yuki Tsunoda Explores Options Beyond Racing Bulls

Yuki Tsunoda hints at considering broader factors for his F1 future, prioritizing team dynamics and personal growth alongside performance.

Tsunoda will not base his decision solely on performance when choosing his future in F1. The Racing Bulls driver believes Pierre Gasly’s departure from AlphaTauri wasn’t only performance-related, and he is convinced his own future move will also involve multiple factors.

“Performance is obviously important,” Tsunoda told Motorsport Week. “But also, I don’t know what Pierre [Gasly] decided or why. I’m sure performance wasn’t the only factor in his decision at the time.”

“Alpine is a French team, and he’s French too, so that played a role. For me, it’s also about focusing on the environment and everything else—I wouldn’t necessarily choose solely based on performance. The team principal, the team’s atmosphere, and how they fit with my characteristics also matter. I’d take those elements into account.”

“Performance is clearly the most important factor, but not the only one. And honestly, I wouldn’t compare my situation to Pierre’s. It also depends on the team’s project and everything else.”

“So far, I’m happy within the Red Bull family. It’s where I’ve grown over the past two years. I hope my career continues successfully with this team, but we’ll see what happens in the future.”

The Japanese driver admits he is waiting to learn about his future, but nothing is ruled out for 2026 and beyond: “To be honest, it’s not entirely clear. I could still be with Racing Bulls in 2026. I haven’t been told that next year will be my last season.”

“I think their approach with drivers has changed slightly. To be honest, I don’t fully understand what they want. But as a driver, I can’t solely rely on that—especially with all the discussions happening. It’s always good to have an option.”

“So far, though, I’m not actively searching for one, to be honest. The current situation, I wouldn’t say… it’s not always a very bad situation. It depends, I think, on the car I’ll drive next year and how the season unfolds.”