Yuki Tsunoda’s path to a 2026 reserve seat has hit an unexpected roadblock. While the Japanese driver was expected to settle into a testing and development role at Red Bull after losing his full-time seat, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) president Koji Watanabe has revealed that no contract is actually in place. Negotiations are currently at a standstill, leaving one of the most experienced young drivers on the grid without a formal connection to the team just weeks before the new season begins. It is a precarious situation for a driver who, until very recently, was considered a legitimate candidate for a top seat.
Table of Contents
What is the current situation?
Tsunoda’s current predicament is the fallout from a brutal 2025 campaign. After three successful years at Racing Bulls, he was finally granted his wish: a promotion to the senior Red Bull squad to partner Max Verstappen. However, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Jumping into a car designed around Verstappen’s unique driving style mid-season, Tsunoda struggled to find consistency, often qualifying half a second behind his teammate. By the time the season wrapped up in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull had seen enough. They promoted Isack Hadjar to the senior team for 2026, relegating Tsunoda to the sidelines.
The plan was for Tsunoda to remain the primary reserve for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls, keeping him sharp for a potential 2027 comeback. But the sport’s shifting political landscape has made that “safety net” much thinner than expected.
The whole Honda and Ford complication makes it worse
For those of you who may not be aware, Yuki has always been something of a Honda poster boy, via the Honda Formula Dream Project. However, what is complicating the process for him is the fact that from 2026 onwards, Red Bull Racing will be parting ways with Honda as the engine manufacturer, and instead, run their own engines made in partnership with Ford. Aston Martin will not be the exclusive Honda partner on the grid, and you might say “well, then they should just take Yuki to the Green team”. Well, not so easy.
You see, while Honda has supported Yuki through this career and is willing to support the Japanese hero for the future, it will only be possible if Red Bull release him from their end. If the team decides to retain Yuki as an experienced reserve driver, he will then be wearing the Ford badge, and this will be in direct conflict with Honda, making it nearly impossible for the latter to have any kind of say in his career.
As Watanabe put it, the scope of what Tsunoda can actually do for Honda will depend entirely on the “conditions” Red Bull proposes, and so far, those conditions haven’t led to a signature.
He also confirmed that Aston Martin is currently focused on their own development path, and with a lineup of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, there simply isn’t a vacancy for a driver looking to rebuild his reputation. This leaves Tsunoda in a strategic “no man’s land.” He is too tied to Honda to be a perfect fit for the Red Bull-Ford future, yet there is no room at the only other team where his engine backers hold real sway. For a driver who once said “F1 is my life,” the reality of a year in the simulator without a guaranteed contract is a difficult pill to swallow.
Prospects for a 2027 return?
Despite the current deadlock, the door isn’t completely closed. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has already hinted that he is keeping a close eye on his compatriot for the 2027 season. Haas has recently strengthened its own ties with Toyota, and while that might seem like another brand conflict, the driver market for 2027 is expected to be wide open as the new regulations settle in.
The immediate priority for Tsunoda’s management, led by Khalil Beschir, is to finalize the Red Bull deal before pre-season testing begins in Bahrain. Without a signed contract, Tsunoda risks being a spectator during one of the most important technical resets in the sport’s history. At 25 years old, he has the speed to return, but as many before him have learned, the politics of the paddock can be just as unforgiving as the walls at Suzuka.
