Red Bull hesitant about replacing Tsunoda, 2026 decision could be delayed

Tsunoda impresses Mekies and Marko in America

There are a combination of reasons why Tsunoda’s 2025 campaign has been a difficult one. From Imola to Silverstone, for example, the Japanese driver was using an old floor compared to teammate Verstappen.

This was only rectified when Laurent Mekies joined the team in Spa, where Tsunoda received the RB21’s upgraded floor. Since then, there has been an objective improvement in the #22 car’s pace.

His P6 result in Baku last month was his best result for Red Bull, finishing ahead of both McLaren’s and Ferrari’s. However, in order to keep his seat for next season, consistent points finishes are necessary.

This is something both Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko emphasised after the Azerbaijan GP – and they echoed a similar sentiment after COTA.

Finishing 7th place last weekend certainly won’t guarantee anything for Tsunoda in 2026, but it undoubtedly helps his case. His progress since the summer break is notable, and neither Isack Hadjar nor Liam Lawson have been at their best in recent weeks.

Speaking after last weekend’s race, Helmut Marko spoke positively about Red Bull’s second driver:

“He had a very good start, and we competitive when he had clear air, so there’s an upward trend there as well.

“He’s stabilising, and that’s very important in the fight for the World Championship.”

Perhaps of greater significance were Marko’s comments to Sky Germany. When questioned about the team’s self-imposed Mexico deadline, the 81-year-old suggested that a decision on 2026 could be delayed:

“That’s not our priority at the moment. Generally, that’s what we’re planning,” Marko is quoted as saying by autoracing1.com. “Let’s see to what extent we can decide then.”

Tsunoda still in the fight, but there is no margin for error

Marko’s comments indicate that Red Bull have not yet discarded Yuki Tsunoda from their 2026 calculus. After all, even last weekend, he still was not running the upgraded front wing that teammate Verstappen was using.

These factors, whilst often overlooked in the media, are taken into account internally. Should Tsunoda secure another top 7 finish in Mexico (presumably with the updated wing) it would give the Austrian team another reason to reconsider their decision.

Up until now, Isack Hadjar has been the favourite to partner Verstappen in 2026. However, the Frenchman’s form since finishing on the podium in Zandvoort has been far from exceptional.

In fact, excluding his podium in The Netherlands, Hadjar has scored just three points in the last 10 rounds. In the same period, teammate Liam Lawson has secured 26 points for the Racing Bulls.

With Laurent Mekies now Red Bull team principal, there has been a clear shift in the team’s operations. In a similar way, Mekies (who was in charge of VCARB when Tsunoda was delivering most of the team’s points) is in no hurry to make another unjustified swap.

Should Hadjar hit his stride and Tsunoda fail to score points this weekend, then next year’s decision will likely go against the Japanese driver. However, Red Bull are not discounting that Tsunoda can string together a strong run of races to end the season.

Because of this, another competitive weekend from the #22 car could give the Austrian outfit some headaches as they evaluate their future line-up.