Yuki Tsunoda made it clear that he does not intend to spend 2027 again as a reserve driver. After returning to compete in GPs for Racing Bulls, the Japanese driver wants to secure a main seat on the Formula 1 grid next season.
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Tsunoda was left without a main seat this year after a difficult season with Red Bull Racing in 2025 and has been acting as a reserve within the Red Bull ‘family’ since early 2026. This year, however, he has already had three opportunities to race for Racing Bulls, replacing Liam Lawson, who in turn replaces the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull Racing, in Zandvoort, Monza, and now again in Madrid next weekend.
In the first two appearances, Tsunoda came close to scoring points in the Netherlands. He started 12th, finished 11th, and also competed in the Sprint race, where he crossed the finish line in 13th. In Monza, after qualifying 17th, he moved up to 15th on the grid due to penalties and finished the race in tenth, earning his first point of the current season.
When asked in Madrid about possible team contacts for 2027, Tsunoda left negotiations to his manager and stated that he intends to focus his efforts on performance on the track. For the Japanese driver, recent results may help strengthen his candidacy, while F1 remains his priority.
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“I think I made a positive impression, like being in the points, so I leave those things to my manager. I just keep more focused on my performance and that helps with these matters. My main focus is Formula 1. Obviously, Red Bull gave me the opportunity to get back to driving within these four cars. That’s amazing,” he said.
When directly asked if he would accept remaining as a reserve for another season, Tsunoda was categorical: “I don’t want to. I want to race, especially after these three races. I know I want to race with these cars,” the Japanese driver concluded.
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