Red Bull boss: Decision to demote Tsunoda 'very difficult'

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies admitted that it was a "very difficult" decision to demote Yuki Tsunoda to reserve driver for the 2026 Formula One season.

"It has been a very difficult decision to take. The second seat in Oracle Red Bull Racing is not an easy one. We have a tough car to drive. And of course, we have tried everything we could to support Yuki," the Frenchman told the official F1 website.

"At some stage, we had to make the difficult call between where we were seeing that going for the following years. I hope, and I think, that Yuki will get another chance," he added.

Next season, Isack Hadjar, who made his F1 debut this year with Racing Bulls, will line up alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

The team has been struggling to find a perfect team-mate for Verstappen.

After Sergio Perez's exit from the squad at the end of 2024, Liam Lawson was promoted to Red Bull. But he was sent back to Racing Bulls after two races due to his weak performances.

Tsunoda then replaced Lawson but didn't perform well enough to retain his seat for the next year.

"I'm sure everyone in this room and beyond has experienced setbacks – sometimes hard setbacks. That's a setback for him. But I am confident that he has a lot in him that will allow him to have another opportunity," Mekies said.