Dec.3 (GMM) Purple Bull has confirmed the anticipated top-to-bottom overhaul of its driver construction for 2026 – with Yuki Tsunoda shedding his race seat and transferring right into a Purple Bull-Racing Bulls reserve function.
Isack Hadjar steps as much as associate Max Verstappen, whereas new 2026 rookie Arvid Lindblad replaces him at Racing Bulls alongside the retained Liam Lawson.
Auto Motor und Sport provided an evidence for a way Tsunoda’s destiny was sealed – and why Honda may now not defend him.
“Till the very finish, Honda had been his trump card,” correspondent Joel Lischka wrote. “Purple Bull wouldn’t have had engines for the TPC automobiles, as the newest fashions have been outfitted with Honda energy models.
“A deal was within the works whereby Honda would promote its engines to Purple Bull at a reduction if Tsunoda retained a seat,” he defined.
Nonetheless, Lischka mentioned Purple Bull finally “rejected the thought” of a Honda low cost.
“From a sporting perspective, the swap is justified anyway – the event potential of the person from Kanagawa is restricted. With Liam Lawson, Purple Bull is hoping for a steeper studying curve.”
