Yuki Tsunoda all set to follow in Christian Horner’s footsteps as RB’s next high profile exit: Reports

Yuki Tsunoda is set to follow in the footsteps of former Red Bull boss Christian Horner and exit the team at the end of the season, according to fresh reports. The Japanese driver has struggled to settle down at Milton Keynes, after having been called up to the senior team after just two races in the 2025 season.

Yuki Tsunoda has had a torrid time since becoming a Red Bull driver after the Chinese Grand Prix this year. He replaced Liam Lawson after just two races, and was expected to deliver more consistency than he has so far.

The Red Bull camp has been pretty clear that Tsunoda will not be replaced until the end of the season. But new reports are emerging suggesting that the 25-year-old is destined to leave the team at the end of the season.

Online media outlet GPBlog has reported that Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull "contract will be terminated" at the end of the ongoing season. He only has a valid contract until the end of 2025, so an extension is not expected.

The aforementioned website has also reported that Red Bull has denied this in a statement to them.

Even if the reports are untrue, Tsunoda will need to make major improvements in his performance to warrant staying at the Austrian team anyway. He has only scored seven points for the team this year, having added none in the last five races.

He had a strong relationship at Racing Bulls with Laurent Mekies, who has now replaced Christian Horner as Red Bull team principal. The driver will be hoping that a familiar face may help him bring improvements to his performance.

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Yuki Tsunoda "lost" at Red Bull after the British GP

Yuki Tsunoda after the British Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Yuki Tsunoda claimed that he was "lost" after having crossed the finish line as the last of the cars that were still in the race at the British GP. Tsunoda's outing at Silverstone was also hampered by a collision with Ollie Bearman, which earned him a 10-second time penalty.

Speaking to the media after the race, the Red Bull man admitted that he was "outstandingly slow" in the damp conditions during the race in Great Britain.

"When it comes to the long run, it’s something that always is very outstandingly slow somehow. Just ‘degging’ [the tyres] like crazy. I never had like this kind of feeling," said Tsunoda. [via F1.com]

“I know we were running quite low downforce, but to be honest I had still good confidence in the rain. The rain pace was absolutely nowhere, so I’m a bit lost," he added.

If his time at Red Bull does come to an end at the end of the season, Tsunoda could be left without a race seat in 2026. But, he has been linked with a move to Cadillac and Aston Martin in recent times. GPBlog has also reported that a partnership with the latter is not off the table, given that Honda are now partnering with the British team.