Yuki Tsunoda is on the brink of his fifth season in Formula 1. Thanks in part to the support of Honda, the young driver has become a mainstay in the premier class. With the Japanese manufacturer, he steadily progressed through the European junior classes and made his debut in 2021 with the then AlphaTauri. After four years in the shadow of Red Bull, Honda is now calling on the 24-year-old driver to continue his career independently. A transfer to Aston Martin thus seems unlikely.
Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, stated in an interview with Autosport.com that Tsunoda now bears responsibility for his future: “He must take action himself,” said Watanabe. “He is now in his fifth year, he has the capabilities and understands the Formula 1 world well. We can’t do much more for him. He needs to strengthen his team, including his manager, and secure a seat on his own. Drivers can’t rely on Honda forever. Someone with Tsunoda’s career level needs to think for himself.”
‘He has come so far already’
Over the past years, Honda has supported Red Bull Powertrains, the engine supplier of, among others, Racing Bulls. In this way, the Japanese manufacturer remained closely connected to Yuki Tsunoda. However, from 2026, Honda will enter into an exclusive partnership with Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin. At the same time, Red Bull will develop its own engines with the support of Ford. As a result, experts saw a possible future for Tsunoda at Aston Martin, provided Lance Stroll or Fernando Alonso would leave.
However, with Watanabe’s recent remarks, it seems Honda is looking to start afresh. Past ties with drivers such as Yuki Tsunoda and Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa no longer play a role. Takuma Sato, who reached Formula 1 with Honda’s support in 2002, also urges Tsunoda to stand on his own two feet. “Tsunoda has nothing to do with Honda anymore,” he previously stated. “I want him to move to Red Bull, Mercedes, or Ferrari as soon as possible. If he doesn’t move on, it blocks the path for younger drivers. He has already come so far, Honda shouldn’t have to negotiate for him anymore.”
