Yuki Tsunoda is one of a handful of drivers whose contract expires this season. Unlike the others in this category, who are predominantly rookies, the Japanese driver has half a decade of experience in F1.
His value in the market has climbed significantly in recent years, as evidenced by the interest Haas and Audi expressed in securing his services.
Looking ahead to the 2025 market, there will be fewer openings across the field compared to last year.
However, Tsunoda could emerge as an unlikely option for F1’s latest entrant – Cadillac – as they assemble their line-up.
Why Tsunoda must look beyond Red Bull
In many ways, Tsunoda’s awkward contractual situation is through no fault of his own.
The 24-year-old has scored the majority of VCARB’s points since 2023, outperforming a series of teammates in qualifying and race.
Unfortunately the Tsunoda, his performances were not enough to convince Red Bull he was deserving of a promotion.
Team principal Christian Horner’s reservations about the Japanese driver are well established.
This always limited his chances of being awarded a seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Regardless of Tsunoda’s efforts, the Milton Keynes squad showed little interest in giving him the top drive.
More detrimental to the VCARB driver was Red Bull’s decision to activate their option on his contract last year – which prevented him from leaving the team.
Of course, whilst he is valued as a useful benchmark to compare young talents like Isack Hadjar, there seems little long-term future for Tsunoda at Red Bull.
Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have both indicated his time in the Austrian set-up could come to an end this year.
Although the team might decide that Tsunoda is worth holding onto for 2026 (as a reference for Arvin Lindblad), he will obviously not count on this.
He will look elsewhere for more secure destinations to cement his place in F1.
Unexpectedly, one of his options could be Cadillac.
Why Cadillac could consider Tsunoda
Throughout the summer break, there has been significant speculation about Cadillac’s driver options for 2026.
Colton Herta, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas are some of the leading contenders to join the American outfit.
However, none of these drivers are on the grid this season. This means Tsunoda is better placed to make an impression in 2025 and put himself in a strong negotiating position.
It is also worth noting that Colton Hera’s SuperLicense could prevent him from joining F1.
Even if he ends up earning the necessary license points, Tsunoda arguably has more weight in the market than the other drivers linked to Cadillac.
Should the American be ineligible, it is difficult to imagine two free agents will be more highly rated than Tsunoda.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has revealed that he is ready to pounce on opportunities that emerge as the year continues.
In short, the US outfit don’t have a fixed line-up in mind, and are willing to be flexible.
“There’s some very talented drivers still out there,” Lowdon explains.
“We hadn’t been able to be in the driver market until the entry was confirmed. Now it has, we can move forward with that.
“In terms of timing, we’re not putting any timeline on driver announcements or anything like that but for sure, there will be in time.
“For sure we’re going to hire drivers based on merit. But as such, we see no reason why we won’t have American drivers in time.”
Cadillac: A convenient stop-gap
Although Tsunoda’s position is far from ideal, it is essential his approach to the driver market is pragmatic.
Whilst Cadillac certainly are unlikely to be front-runners in 2026, this is not a big issue.
Tsunoda’s priority must be to secure a seat for 2026 – when the grid will overwhelmingly be on expiring deals.
Provided that Cadillac are fast enough to fight for points (a realistic goal considering their resources and undivided attention towards 2026), the 24-year-old should have the necessary machinery to maintain and even raise his market value.
This could help ensure he is well-positioned if any better long-term opportunities arise.
