Possible Yuki Tsunoda replacement in ‘handcuffs ‘as Red Bull told ‘don’t take him away’

Peter Bayer, CEO of the Racing Bulls team, advises Red Bull to keep Isack Hadjar in the junior team despite impressive performances. With suggestions of a potential promotion due to Yuki Tsunoda's underperformance, punters might see value in betting against Tsunoda's future as he may be replaced for the 2026 season, impacting Red Bull's dynamics.

Peter Bayer, the chief executive of the Racing Bulls team, has urged Red Bull’s bosses to resist the temptation to promote Isack Hadjar as Max Verstappen’s team-mate. It comes amid suggestions that the French-Algerian rookie could replace the underperforming Yuki Tsunoda.

Hadjar has made an impressive start to his debut season in F1 2025, scoring points in five of his first nine races. The 20-year-old’s best result came in Monaco, where he finished as best of the rest in sixth place, behind only the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

Hadjar’s form has raised suggestions that the rookie could replace Tsunoda either later this season or for the F1 2026 campaign. Tsunoda secured a long-awaited promotion to Red Bull earlier this season when he swapped seats with Liam Lawson after the first two rounds in Australia and China. However, the Japanese driver has scored just seven points in seven appearances for the senior team, with Tsunoda falling in Q1 at two of the last three races in Emilia Romagna and Spain.

With Red Bull’s highly successful partnership with Japanese marque Honda concluding at the end of this season, it is thought highly unlikely that Tsunoda will be retained for F1 2026. Bayer has called for Red Bull to allow Hadjar to remain with the junior team until at least the end of next season, quipping that Racing Bulls may have no option but to “handcuff” the rookie to stop him joining the senior squad.

According to Swiss-German publication Blick, Bayer said: “For heaven’s sake, don’t take this talent away from us too soon. “He should get to know the whole business by the end of 2026. “Until then, we’ll just have to handcuff him!”

Helmut Marko, the long-serving Red Bull adviser, recently admitted that Hadjar has been one of the great revelations of the F1 2025 season, having adapted seamlessly to Formula 1 after finishing second to current Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto in the F2 feeder series last year. Marko told media including PlanetF1.com: “Hadjar is the big surprise. “Everywhere we come, immediately he’s on speed, and everywhere he provides a super performance. “We knew he’s fast, but that he is so consistent, and that he is driving relatively easy, is also a surprise for us.”

Nico Rosberg, the 2016 World Champion and former Mercedes driver, urged Hadjar to turn down any opportunity to join Red Bull given Verstappen’s record of destroying his team-mates. Appearing at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg told Sky F1: “If I was Hadjar now, if ever the team starts to mention [a promotion], I would literally decline.” “Decline as hard as you possibly can. “Because he’s doing such a great job there with the [Racing Bulls], he’s in a great position. Just flat decline and say: ‘No way.’ “You need to do that. Decline.”

Yuki Tsunoda's resistance is starting to fade at Red Bull.

Planet F1