‘Rumours are rumours’ Tsunoda states regarding ongoing gossip around Red Bull second seat

Yuki Tsunoda previewing the Azerbaijan Grand Prix | Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Yuki Tsunoda remains neutral about his future, noting his focus is primarily on his performance for the season. 

Yuki Tsunoda made the step up into the senior Red Bull team during the third round of the 2025 Formula One season. The Japanese driver replaced a struggling Liam Lawson who was demoted to Racing Bulls for the remainder of the season. 

Since the move, Tsunoda has also struggled to come to grips with the car, with the Red Bull driver sitting 19th in the standings with 12 points - three of which were secured during his tenure with Racing Bulls. 

Rumours regarding the second Red Bull seat started swirling after rookie Isack Hadjar secured an impressive third place finish at Zandvoort. As the second seat remains open for 2026, the battle for who will secure the hottest seat in F1 is between Tsunoda, Hadjar and Lawson. 

Hadjar was quizzed about his future in Azerbaijan ahead of round 17, where the rookie highlighted his current achievements and how he could be the right fit for the seat. 

Tsunoda was also questioned about the pressing topic, where he remained unfazed about the situation, stating: ‘let them enjoy the rumours’:

"I’m only focused on what I can do. Even the situation last year, I was just only focused on my performance. If I remember correctly, I was saying exactly the same thing. It doesn’t matter. Rumours are rumours. It’s not fact. Let them enjoy the rumours and I’ll just stick on it anyway," Tsunoda said. 

"My only job is to drive fast and make results.” 

“I’ll leave those things to my people, my team, who are helping on that and are specifically there for. That’s why I’m able to focus on myself, driving and making progress at each race, which I’m enjoying. I’ll just keep doing that and let them do their job."

Alongside the rumours about the three current Red Bull drivers, Arvid Lindblad has been thrown into the mix after a stellar season in the feeder series’. The Briton sits seventh in the F2 standings, after becoming the youngest-ever F2 race winner. After just one year in the feeder series, there have been talks around the paddock that the 18-year-old could make the jump up into the pinnacle of motorsports in 2026. While nothing is confirmed and rumours continue to swirl, pressure is beginning to build around who will win the battle and become the four-time world champion’s teammate for the foreseeable future.