Honda negotiating with Red Bull regarding Yuki Tsunoda's future

Tsunoda got his F1 breakthrough after Honda joined forces with Red Bull back in 2018 when they started powering Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), with the Japanese driver placed at the Faenza-based outfit in 2021.

He remained until the start of the 2025 season when Red Bull decided to replace Liam Lawson after just two races.

Needless to say, Tsunoda's F1 foray has been a disappointment, as he never showed the potential to deliver consistent performances, let alone wins. His final season with Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen's teammate delivered the final blow to his short career in the top flight.

And now with Honda partnering with Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing going their own way, building an in-house power unit in collaboration with Ford, Tsunoda's situation has become a bit tricky.

Honda's motorsport boss, Koji Watanabe, claims Tsunoda is still their driver, and that there are ongoing talks regarding a new contract.

However, he admitted the situation is a bit tricky and said: “Regarding this year's contract with Tsunoda, negotiations are ongoing, so no specific agreement has been finalized yet. This will be discussed in future talks.

“From Honda's perspective, there's no problem. The crucial point is how Ford, or rather Red Bull, views the situation. Depending on the terms Red Bull proposes, the scope within which Honda can utilize Tsunoda will change... I believe that scenario is possible.

“The negotiations are not with Tsunoda himself, but with Red Bull," Watanabe concluded.

Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson at Red Bull starting from the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix and finished 17th in the Drivers' Championship.