Yuki Tsunoda has repeated his priority is to remain at Red Bull, to the point where he is not getting involved in assessing his alternative options in Formula 1 for 2026.
With Max Verstappen overlooking Mercedes’ overtures to repledge his commitment to the side, Red Bull must now decide who will line up alongside him next season.
Red Bull has cycled through multiple drivers since Daniel Ricciardo departed in 2018, as his successors have all been unable to provide lasting support to Verstappen.
Tsunoda has become the latest to struggle against the Dutchman, managing seven points in the 12 races he has contested since replacing Liam Lawson mid-season.
But having closed the gap to Verstappen during the double-header that preceded the summer break, Tsunoda will be handed more time to stake his claim to the drive.
Speaking in the run-up to this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Tsunoda stressed his attention is on translating the promise he showed in the past two rounds into results.
That includes not getting caught up in a discussion surrounding his prospects past the current campaign, despite his place on next season’s grid remaining uncertain.
Asked whether he is evaluating options outside the Red Bull stable, Tsunoda told media including Motorsport Week: “I’ll leave that with my team, with my manager.
“I just focus on myself in terms of performance. My priority is to stay in Red Bull and to show the performance as much as possible. And that’s my only focus.
“So, yeah, it’s not my job anyway to search around. My job is to drive fast and score points. And [that is the] only thing I’m working on.
“So, they do their thing and I’m sure my performance will help anyway in those things. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to the race in the Netherlands to show my performance better.”
Tsunoda unsure where he stands with Red Bull
Tsunoda has conceded he is unsure where he stands with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, as he declined to discount a possible return to satellite squad Racing Bulls.
Pressed on whether a second stint with the Faenza-based squad was a possibility if he lost his place with the senior Red Bull team, Tsunoda responded: “I don’t know.
“Maybe Helmut’s thinking in the background. I never know what he’s thinking, to be honest. But for now, I understand he’s still looking for me to show the performance.
“And I think he [has] supported me quite a lot. But obviously, he’s also quite a straightforward guy. He’s here for the team and he wants to have points as much as possible.
“So, I need to perform for sure. But if I understand it correctly, he’s still waiting a bit of time to define what’s good for Red Bull. And I think, yeah, let’s see for Racing Bulls or whatever.
“They’re performing quite well currently and it’s a team that I’ve [been with] for a long time. So, obviously, my main goal is to still stick to Red Bull. But yeah, let’s see.”
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