Just like Red Bull, Honda has supported Yuki Tsunoda’s career since 2018, the year in which, thanks to his victory in the Japanese F4 Championship, he entered the young driver programs of both the Japanese brand and the Austrian team. At the end of 2020, his move to F1 was confirmed after finishing his first season in F2 in third place.
Yuki Tsunoda’s debut with AlphaTauri in 2021 definitely strengthened the relationship between Honda and Red Bull, but his performances have never convinced the Milton Keynes team to promote him, despite good seasons where he showed both the skills and speed to compete in F1, as well as inconsistency and moments of nervousness, which seem to have been set aside this year.
Even though the Red Bull seat for 2025 has been confirmed for Sergio Perez, the Mexican is having a very poor 2024, with only 41 points scored since the Imola Grand Prix in Italy: a trend that, just before the Austin GP, keeps him in eighth place in the drivers’ standings.
If Sergio Perez does not reverse this trend, there are rumors circulating in the paddock, fueled by Helmut Marko himself, of either retirement (denied by Sergio Perez) or dismissal in favor of Liam Lawson. Yuki Tsunoda would not be considered for a Red Bull seat as Sergio Perez’s successor.
Watanabe: “Tsunoda has talent, he wants Red Bull”
Honda, despite its partnership with Red Bull ending next year as it moves to Aston Martin, hopes the team can give Yuki Tsunoda the opportunity to drive a car for the main team to show his full potential and speed.
In an interview with Motorsport.com, Honda’s head of motorsports, Koji Watanabe, said: “Our goal with Yuki Tsunoda is to work towards securing him a seat with Red Bull. We believe he has talent. Of course, driver decisions are up to the team, but as a partner, we strongly request that Tsunoda gets the chance to drive and test a Red Bull car, at least to give him the opportunity to demonstrate his talent.”
“We’ve talked to Christian [Horner] about this, and he hasn’t ruled it out. Nothing has been decided yet.” – he revealed.
Even though the driver is part of both Academies, Koji Watanabe said that Yuki Tsunoda’s goal is not to continue racing with Honda engines but to secure a seat with Red Bull: “If Tsunoda’s ability is recognized, we believe he could stay with Red Bull even beyond 2026 and compete for the title.” – he pointed out – “It would be ideal if he became a Red Bull driver: this doesn’t mean that our paths (Honda’s and Tsunoda’s) will part forever. Right now, he is focused on securing a Red Bull seat, and if that’s his goal, then he must pursue it.”
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