At the very beginning of the year, LWOS analysed Yuki Tsunoda’s options ahead of 2026.
Several teams (including Cadillac) were mentioned as Red Bull alternatives for the 24-year-old. At the time, the Austrian team were showing no signs of promoting him.
Since then, Tsunoda has of course been promoted to Red Bull. Like others before him, however, the Japanese driver has struggled alongside Max Verstappen.
Tsunoda’s poor results do not necessarily guarantee Red Bull will replace him in 2026. The last twelve months have shown that constant driver swaps are not the solution for Milton Keynes.
Still, should Red Bull decide a new teammate for Verstappen is needed, Yuki Tsunoda could have an alternative path to stay in F1.
Why Cadillac are interested in Yuki Tsunoda
In the early weeks of the 2024 season, many teams were interested in Yuki Tsunoda. Audi and Haas were among those who expressed interested in offering him a deal.
Because of Red Bull’s option on his contract, however, he was unable to seriously explore these options.
The situation is slightly different this year, though, with Tsunoda out of contract for 2026.
Should the #22 driver feel that continuing at Red Bull is detrimental to his career (or if the team replaces him), he can go elsewhere.
As it stands, Cadillac is the only team outside of Red Bull with two vacancies for next year.
A handful of drivers, including Bottas, Perez and Zhou, have been linked to the US project .
Bottas is emerging as the front-runner to be their first signing – although Alpine’s interest in the Mercedes reserve could add a spanner to the works.
Regardless, Tsunoda could be well-positioned to be selected by Cadillac against some of the drivers mentioned.
As reported by racingnews365, the Red Bull driver is now firmly on the American team’s radar.
Whilst his Red Bull stint has been immensely difficult, the long list of drivers who experienced a similar fate alongside Verstappen should limit the damage his mid-season move would otherwise inflict to his market value.
Tsunoda’s impressive record at VCARB still makes him a valuable asset in the market – especially for a new team like Cadillac.
Only a few months ago, Mario Andretti bemoaned that Cadillac had a very limited driver pool to choose from.
If Tsunoda does not have a future with Christian Horner’s team, he could emerge a welcome opportunity for Graeme Lowdon to explore.
Alongside an experienced driver like Bottas or Perez, Tsunoda could complete a very competitive line-up in 2026.
Ever-changing dynamics at Red Bull
Inevitably, the 24-year-old’s future is also dependent on how events unfold at Red Bull.
Considering the number of stories and questions surrounding the Milton Keynes outfit, anticipating what happens next will be difficult.
Arvid Lindblad’s progression complicates things for everyone at Red Bull and VCARB outside of Max Verstappen.
Someone will have to be replaced to create space for the highly-rated 17-year-old in 2026. For now, it is unclear who this casualty would be.
Even Verstappen himself, a source of stability at Red Bull over the last decade, is something of an unknown quantity.
The Dutchman is relentlessly linked with a move to Mercedes – a scenario that becomes increasingly likely as Red Bull lose ground to McLaren.
Because of these factors, Tsunoda might have to wait before having any assurances of his future.
Amidst this instability, Tsunoda can take some consolation from the fact other teams are interested in his services.
Main photo: Peter Fox/LAT Images (via Red Bull content pool)
