Haas Leaves Door Open for Demoted Red Bull Driver Yuki Tsunoda in 2027

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has refused to rule out signing Yuki Tsunoda for the 2027 season, offering a potential path back to a full-time race seat after his demotion to a Red Bull reserve role. While the Japanese driver is a free agent for 2027, a potential move to Haas is complicated by the team's new technical partnership with Toyota, a direct rival to Tsunoda's long-time backer, Honda.

Why it matters:

• This represents a crucial career juncture for Yuki Tsunoda, a talented driver who lost his seat at a top team.
• A move to Haas would be a significant career revival, keeping a promising driver on the grid and providing him with a new platform to showcase his skills.
• The situation underscores the growing influence of manufacturer partnerships in shaping driver line-ups, where business and political rivalries can often outweigh driver talent alone.

The details:

• Tsunoda was replaced at Red Bull for 2026 by Isack Hadjar after a challenging 2025 season where he scored points in only seven of 22 races, with a best finish of sixth in Azerbaijan.
• Haas's current driver lineup of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon are both contracted through the 2026 season, meaning the team is actively looking ahead to 2027.
• Komatsu emphasized that Haas's primary goal is to have a competitive 2026 season to put the team in the "best position" to attract top drivers for the wide-open 2027 market.
• The primary obstacle is the Toyota-Honda dynamic. Haas officially rebranded as the "TGR Haas F1 Team" for 2026, solidifying its partnership with Toyota. Tsunoda's entire F1 career has been supported by the Honda driver program.
• Tsunoda admitted he was "disappointed and p*ssed off" by Red Bull's decision and claimed his contract prevented him from exploring opportunities with other teams, including a rumored move to the Honda-powered Aston Martin team.

What's next:

• The 2026 season will be the deciding factor. Haas must demonstrate significant progress with its new Toyota partnership to be an attractive option for any driver, including Tsunoda.
• The 2027 driver market is expected to be highly fluid, with many drivers waiting to assess team performance under the new regulations before making commitments.
• The central question will be whether the significant business and political hurdles between Toyota and Honda can be navigated to make a potential deal for Tsunoda feasible.