Purple Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda says he’s decided to work his means again to an F1 race seat after shedding his 2026 drive.
On Tuesday, Purple Bull confirmed that Isack Hadjar would change Tsunoda for the 2026 season, with 18-year-old teenager Arvid Lindblad taking Hadjar’s vacant seat at its Racing Bulls sister squad.
With all 2026 race seats now accounted for, meaning Tsunoda is ready for a yr on the sidelines following a five-year stint in F1 as a race driver, with the 25-year-old Japanese transferring right into a check and reserve position for Purple Bull subsequent yr.
Making his first public assertion for the reason that information was introduced, Tsunoda admitted shedding his seat was “extremely robust”, however stated he’s decided to combat his means again onto the F1 grid.
“Discovering out I gained’t have a race seat in 2026 was extremely robust, however I’m decided to work more durable than ever with Purple Bull as check and reserve driver to develop with the workforce, and show I deserve a spot on the grid,” Tsunoda posted on his social media accounts.
“Life’s filled with setbacks, and that is mine. It’s not going to discourage me from being the very best F1 driver I could be.”
Tsunoda pays the worth for lacklustre leads to the second Purple Bull automobile, scoring solely 30 factors since being promoted forward of the third race of the season in Japan, whereas team-mate Max Verstappen remains to be in competition for the world title at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi season finale.
Photograph by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
Tsunoda confirmed glimpses of pace within the tricky-to-drive Purple Bull RB21 and certified near Verstappen on a number of events however by no means managed to realize any momentum because of a wide range of errors, a few of his personal making and a few on the workforce’s aspect. A expensive crash in qualifying for Might’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix had essentially the most crippling impact, denting his confidence within the automobile and placing him behind on upgrades in comparison with Verstappen for a very long time.
Saying the information, Purple Bull workforce principal Laurent Mekies paid tribute to Tsunoda, after having additionally labored with him at Racing Bulls. “Via his 5 seasons thus far in System 1, Yuki has matured into an entire racer, good over a single lap on Saturday and able to distinctive begins and wonderful race craft on Sunday,” Mekies stated.
“Everybody within the sport would agree it’s inconceivable to not like Yuki, his persona is infectious, and he has develop into a really particular a part of the Purple Bull household. On behalf of everybody at Purple Bull, I thank him for what he has contributed thus far, and we all know he’ll present invaluable assist to the 2026 initiatives transferring ahead.”
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