Red Bull’s decision to activate their option on Yuki Tsunoda’s contract prevented him from leaving VCARB in 2024. However, there will be openings for Tsunoda over the course of 2025 – with other teams showing interest in his services.
Yuki Tsunoda is highly valued in the F1 market
A little more than two years ago, Pierre Gasly jumped on a free seat at Alpine to leave Red Bull – who were showing no intention of promoting him.
In a similar way, Yuki Tsunoda is expected to be very active in this year’s driver market.
After seeing Liam Lawson (with just F1 11 races under his belt) chosen as Max Verstappen’s teammate, Tsunoda is aware of his limited opportunities at Red Bull.
The Milton Keynes squad have shown no desire to put him in the main team. Despite strong performances against several teammates, the 24-year-old continues to be overlooked.
Because of this, options elsewhere on the grid will be explored in the coming months.
As a relatively young (though now established) driver, Tsunoda commands considerable influence in the market.
He would be an asset for many teams across the field, as evidenced by the interest he received during the course of 2024. The question is whether he is attracted by the options available to him.
Tsunoda’s alternatives are limited
Haas and Sauber (Audi) are among the teams to have approached Yuki Tsunoda last year.
Both teams were open to negotiating a multi-year deal – only for Red Bull to activate their option on his contract and keep him at VCARB.
However, as Tsunoda enters a fifth season in Faenza, staying any longer at the sister team is unfeasible.
Unfortunately for the VCARB driver, both Haas and Sauber have signed drivers to long-term agreements since they reached out to him.
Although Red Bull often demonstrate that contracts are not necessarily definitive in F1 – it is unlikely either of these teams will replace their contracted drivers prematurely.
Moreover, the top teams (Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes) also have two drivers on long-term deals. This means that Tsunoda’s options are more restricted than they were twelve months ago. With that said, there could still be opportunities.
Alpine and Cadillac are potential options
It is understood that Alpine were one of the teams to approach Yuki Tsunoda last year. Although a deal was not reached, the French team will have at least one opening next year.
Flavio Briatore has already explained that Jack Doohan’s position at Alpine will be re-evaluated.
It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see Alpine negotiating with other drivers relatively early in 2025. In this scenario, Tsunoda would be a leading candidate for Team Enstone to pursue.
Of course, this might not be the most attractive option to the Japanese driver. Still, in the context of his dead end position at Red Bull, the French squad will be worth considering.
Elsewhere in Formula 1, Cadillac are looking for two drivers to complete their 2026 line-up.
As a team preparing for their debut, Cadillac is a project very much in its infancy. In different circumstances, this might discourage Tsunoda from taking a chance on a largely unknown entity.
However, for all the reasons mentioned previously, the US outfit cannot be ignored if they show interest.
Perhaps the ideal scenario for Yuki Tsunoda would be to join Aston Martin for 2026. As a team with a Honda engine deal for 2026 and state-of-the-art facilities, they are a very attractive long-term project.
Then again, unless the team’s unwavering support of Lance Stroll changes, there won’t be an opening this year.
Still, at least a few teams can be expected to pursue the 24-year-old over the coming season.
