Yuki Tsunoda is fighting for his future in F1 but the Japanese driver isn’t losing any sleep over whispers of his potential demise from Red Bull Racing, dismissing speculation that he could be replaced by Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar in 2026.
The buzz kicked off courtesy of Auto Motor und Sport, with a report claiming that Hadjar is primed for a promotion to Red Bull Racing
That would inevitably sideline Tsunoda, who's only notched 12 points in 14 starts since his early-season call-up, leaving him 19th in the standings and potentially homeless on the F1 grid.
No return to RB seems likely, and with Cadillac snapping up veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, Tsunoda's wish list is looking thinner than a qualifying lap.
Whispers of a reserve gig at Honda-linked Aston Martin or even Haas float around, but the driver himself? He's tuned out the noise.
Ignorance is Bliss: Tsunoda's Rumour Blind Spot
Pressed by reporters in Baku's media pen ahead of this weekend's event, Tsunoda played the ultimate cool customer. When the rumours were laid bare, the 25-year-old blinked in genuine surprise.
“I don’t know what rumours you’re talking about,” he told the scrum, his voice laced with that trademark mix of bewilderment and bite.
Once clued in on the Hadjar headlines, Tsunoda didn't flinch – he fired back with the kind of no-BS attitude that's endeared him to fans.
“It’s not the facts,” he insisted, doubling down on his laser focus amid the chaos. “I am only focused on what I can do.
“Even that situation last year I was only focused on my own performance. I was saying if I remember correctly the exact same things. It doesn’t matter.
“Rumours are rumours. It’s not the facts. Let them enjoy the rumours and I will just stick with it anyway.”
Tsunoda’s results haven't exploded like his occasional radio rants, but he's not about to let paddock chatter clip his wings.
Eyes on the Prize: Driving Over Deal-Making Drama
Tsunoda's not just talking tough – he's walking it, handing off the contract wrangling to his sharp-suited squad while he wrestles the RB21 this weekend around Baku's brutal walls.
“I don’t expect anything,” he added, shrugging off the seat-scrambling scramble. “Like I said, it’s not my job to talk to other teams and everything.
“My only job is to drive fast and make the results. I will leave those things to my people, my team, who’s helping that and who is specifically there for.
“That’s why I will focus on myself, driving and make the progress each race which I am enjoying. I just keep doing that. Let them do their job.”
In a paddock where whispers can turn into whirlwinds overnight, Tsunoda's stance is a breath of fresh turbo air.
Hadjar's meteoric rise – ninth in the championship with 38 points, just a whisker behind the midfield maestros – has Red Bull brass buzzing about fresh blood for the 2026 regs reset.
But Tsunoda? He's gunning for glory on track, not gossip sheets. As the lights go out in Baku, expect the Japanese ace to channel that fire into a performance that screams louder than any rumour: he's here to race, not to react.
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