Yuki Tsunoda is ready to try a new sport after his chance to return to F1 didn’t work out.
If Yuki Tsunoda can’t grab a new Formula 1 seat for 2027, he might switch to a surprising motorsport series. Tsunoda was let go by Red Bull last season after scoring only 32 points in 22 races. Before that, he had been with Red Bull’s racing teams since 2021 and even stepped in for Liam Lawson early in 2025.
Although he lost his spot to Isack Hadjar as Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2026, Tsunoda is still Red Bull’s reserve driver this year. Recently, rumors say Haas might be interested in him if they decide to replace Esteban Ocon mid-season. Haas works closely with Toyota Gazoo Racing, which is a Japanese car company. Tsunoda is backed by Honda, and in 2025, Honda said they wouldn’t block a possible move.
But Tsunoda isn’t the only one in the running for that Haas seat — their reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who has lots of World Endurance Championship experience and has been in some Friday practice sessions, is also a strong candidate. If Hirakawa gets the spot, Tsunoda’s chances in Formula 1 could shrink even more.
According to GPblog, there are growing signs Tsunoda might join IndyCar, like several ex-F1 drivers have done before. Some have found great success there. For example, Marcus Ericsson joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020 and won the Indianapolis 500 in 2022 and was runner-up the next year. Takuma Sato, who raced in F1 from 2002 to 2008, has also won the Indy 500 twice and still competes every year, finishing in the top 10 several times recently.
This year, some IndyCar drivers’ contracts end after 2026, which could open a spot for Tsunoda. Felix Rosenqvist, this year’s Indy 500 winner, is out of contract at Meyer Shank Racing. Nolan Siegel might leave McLaren’s IndyCar team at season’s end. Marcus Ericsson could also leave Andretti Global if he can’t renew his contract. Andretti has other stars like Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood, two-time champions making the team strong.
Some F1 drivers only sign to race on road courses when moving to IndyCar, because IndyCar also races on ovals. For example, Romain Grosjean skipped ovals his first IndyCar season in 2021 but started to race on them later that year.
So, if Tsunoda doesn’t find his place in F1, IndyCar could be an exciting new path for him starting in 2027.