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Racing Bulls explain Yuki Tsunoda 'respect' decision before Red Bull seat axe
Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has revealed how the delay in naming
the 2026 driver line-up was out of "respect" for Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda struggled at the senior Red Bull team, and towards the end
of the 2025 season, it became clear he was not going to be retained
alongside Max Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar replacing him.
However, Tsunoda was a contender for a return to Racing Bulls, with
incumbent Liam Lawson and F2 rookie Arvid Lindblad pushing for a
seat. Ultimately, the final decision was announced after the Qatar
GP, with Lawson and Lindblad selected for Racing Bulls with Tsunoda
demoted to third and reserve driver duties for both teams. Permane,
who is starting his first full season as a team principal has
explained how the decision was delayed, from a planned initial
announcement in Mexico. "It [was] a case of, honestly, pushing
back, we started off by saying the announcement was going to be
after Mexico, and then we wanted to just calm things down a bit,"
Permane told Motorsport Week. "That’s largely because Red Bull were
in a tight battle for the constructors’ championship. "[Racing
Bulls was] in a tight battle for the constructors’ championship, so
we just didn’t want any more noise about it. "Then by the time we
got to Qatar, we’d made our decisions, and that’s why we announced
it and out of respect for Yuki. "Honestly, [it was] so that he can
have a final race with Red Bull Racing, and I’m sure it doesn’t
necessarily mean it’s his final race in Formula 1."
