Alex Albon defends Yuki Tsunoda after Red Bull demotion
Alex Albon has voiced support for Yuki Tsunoda after Red Bull demoted him to a reserve role for 2026, stating he believes Tsunoda "deserves a place in F1." Albon, who revived his own career from a similar position, hopes Tsunoda can use the year to make an impact and secure a full-time return.
Williams driver Alex Albon has publicly defended Yuki Tsunoda following the Japanese driver's demotion to a reserve role for 2026, drawing parallels to his own career path after being dropped by Red Bull in 2020. Albon, who successfully used a reserve year to return to a full-time seat with Williams, expressed hope that Tsunoda can follow a similar trajectory and return to the F1 grid.
Why it matters:
Red Bull's driver decisions have a ripple effect across the grid, and its choice to replace Tsunoda with junior Isack Hadjar highlights the intense pressure and short leashes within its driver program. Albon's public support underscores the human element behind these cutthroat roster moves and offers a potential blueprint for Tsunoda's comeback, showing that a year on the sidelines doesn't have to be a career dead-end.
The details:
- Red Bull has confirmed Yuki Tsunoda will move to a reserve driver role for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls in 2026, with French junior Isack Hadjar taking his race seat.
- Alex Albon lost his own Red Bull seat at the end of 2020 and spent 2021 as a test and reserve driver before securing his current drive with Williams.
- Albon emphasized that Tsunoda must stay ready, as the reserve role presents a clear opportunity to step in if any of the team's full-time drivers underperform or face other issues.
- The Thai driver also pointed to the performances of other Red Bull juniors, like Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, as factors that could influence future seat availability, implying Tsunoda's position is not permanently fixed.
Looking ahead:
Tsunoda's immediate future hinges on his performance and visibility in the reserve role, much as Albon's did. His path back to a race seat likely depends on a combination of factors: his own work with the team, the performance of the drivers ahead of him, and potential openings elsewhere on the grid as the 2026 regulation changes shake up team lineups. Albon's successful precedent provides a tangible model, but Tsunoda's fate remains in the hands of Red Bull's notoriously demanding hierarchy.