Yuki Tsunoda finds himself in a delicate position for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Honda considers him one of their drivers and wants him to remain part of their long-term plans, but the split between the Japanese manufacturer and Red Bull, where he is currently serving as a reserve driver, has made the situation more complicated. Negotiations with Red Bull are still ongoing.
Yuki Tsunoda’s career path has been unique. Nurtured by Honda since his karting days, he moved to Europe through the Japanese program before being absorbed into the Red Bull Junior Team during their collaboration. Today, he is in a sort of middle ground where his past and present follow parallel lines that no longer intersect.
Until last year, Honda, through Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), was still an integral part of the Red Bull project as an engine supplier, even though ownership of the Power Units had shifted to Red Bull Powertrains. This partnership ensured that Tsunoda remained a core part of Honda’s F1 plans, to the point that the manufacturer still claims him as one of their products and a reference point for the brand, even as his new role as Red Bull-Ford reserve could make this claim more precarious.
Having been part of the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP) since his debut in single-seaters in 2016, Tsunoda climbed the junior formulas quickly. In 2018, he won the Japanese F4 title and, after just two years in Europe, reached Formula 1 in 2021. He progressed rapidly through F3, finishing ninth with a less competitive Jenzer car, and then F2 with Carlin, where he secured third in the championship.
The Honda-Red Bull partnership facilitated Tsunoda’s entry into the Red Bull Junior Team in 2019, and by 2021 he debuted in Formula 1 with AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls). Yuki Tsunoda spent four seasons with the Faenza-based team before being promoted to Red Bull after two races in 2025, replacing a struggling Liam Lawson. However, the Japanese driver struggled to master the challenging RB21, and for 2026 he will serve only as a reserve driver for the Milton Keynes squad.
With the introduction of the 2026 regulations, Red Bull has established a partnership with Ford, while Honda, following a brief withdrawal, has returned to Formula 1 with an exclusive deal with Aston Martin. Despite these separate paths, Honda continues to view Yuki Tsunoda as one of their own—a “Honda colleague” and product of the HFDP program.
Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe reaffirmed this position at the Tokyo Auto Salon. He clarified that while Honda still considers Yuki Tsunoda a key driver, his reserve role with Red Bull-Ford adds complexity. Watanabe explained that contract negotiations for Yuki Tsunoda’s role are ongoing and nothing has been finalized, stressing that the discussions are with Red Bull rather than with Tsunoda directly. How Red Bull perceives the situation will define the scope in which Honda can involve Yuki Tsunoda in their projects.
Watanabe also noted that the Honda driver academy will not merge with Aston Martin’s program, unlike the integration previously seen with Red Bull. The Silverstone-based team already has its own junior program, including F2 driver Mari Boya. Honda will continue to cultivate its own generation of young talents, such as F4 champion Taito Kato, expected to debut in F3 next year. While structured collaboration with Aston Martin is not planned, Honda intends to recommend promising drivers to the team if suitable candidates emerge in the future.
“There are no plans for integration at this stage,” Watanabe confirmed. “We expect to continue coordinating certain programs with Aston Martin, but there is nothing formal agreed upon. For now, we will continue to develop drivers through the HFDP program up to F2, and if we identify drivers ready for Formula 1, we will recommend them to Aston Martin.”
The tug-of-war over Yuki Tsunoda serves as a reminder of the deep-rooted loyalty within Japanese motorsport culture, even as the global alliances of Formula 1 shift. As Honda prepares to power Aston Martin and Red Bull builds its future with Ford, Tsunoda remains the living bridge between these two giants, though his immediate future on the grid depends entirely on the diplomatic success of the negotiations currently taking place in Tokyo and Milton Keynes.
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