Red Bull seems ready to shake up the F1 world again, as the team has made its decision for the 2026 driver line-ups, and the official word will come on Tuesday. Red Bull shared a Qatar GP victory photo celebrating Max Verstappen’s win along with the whole team, but one important person was missing.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Journey and the Red Bull Decision
Normally, both drivers appear in Red Bull’s traditional post-race celebration photo, but it looked like Yuki Tsunoda was quietly taken out of the frame this time, and fans were quick to notice that. The timing is what made it feel even more suspicious, and the picture felt like a not-so-subtle hint of what’s ahead this week.
Tsunoda has had a very unique career in F1 since he joined the grid in 2021 and immediately grabbed attention for his aggressive driving style, team radio rants, and bold overtakes. A lot of fans love him because he is not afraid to be himself, and he has slowly developed into a much more mature driver throughout the seasons.
This season has been a challenging one, especially as Tsunoda stepped into one of the toughest jobs in F1 by taking the second Red Bull Racing seat beside Verstappen. The car is quick but is quite difficult to handle and has a lot of expectations surrounding it.
His results have not matched his previous form in the Racing Bulls outfit, and his inconsistency has allowed the pressure to grow every week as he now sits 15th in the championship with 33 points, while his teammate Verstappen is fighting for the title.
Red Bull has been trying to decide who will race alongside the Dutchman in 2026, and the shortlist has included Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and young F2 talent Arvid Lindblad. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar has been performing strongly throughout the season to convince leadership that he deserves a chance at the main Red Bull team.
People behind the scenes believe the final decision has already been made, as Hadjar will replace Tsunoda, but team principal Laurent Mekies has not confirmed anything yet. “All I can tell you is that we will, in fact, stick to our plan, and we will announce on Tuesday what’s the driver line-up. We are confident it will not disturb the focus in Abu Dhabi,” Mekies admitted.
Uncertain Future for Tsunoda and a Big Weekend Ahead
At this moment, no one in the F1 world knows what will happen to Tsunoda after the season ends, as there are only a very few possibilities in hand. He could return to the Racing Bulls team, or he could become a reserve driver for both Red Bull teams, or even be released entirely from the organization.
A part of it depends on what happens next, which includes how he performs during the Abu Dhabi weekend, which will be the final race weekend this year.
Mekies said it is important for Tsunoda to be strong in Abu Dhabi to support Verstappen’s title fight and also pointed out that Tsunoda has shown strong pace, being within a few tenths of Verstappen on several occasions.
The victory photo from Qatar may mean something, but it has definitely changed how everyone is looking at Tuesday’s announcement, and whatever comes next, Tsunoda’s future will be one of the main storylines to follow as F1’s 2025 season reaches its final stage.