Honda's Tsunoda Extension on Hold Amid Red Bull-Ford Complications

Yuki Tsunoda’s future remains in limbo as Honda and Red Bull have yet to finalize an extension for the Japanese driver, who is currently serving in a reserve role. The delay stems from the shifting technical landscape at Red Bull Powertrains, specifically the involvement of new partner Ford, which complicates Honda's ability to manage their protege.

Why it matters:

Tsunoda has long been backed by Honda throughout his junior career and F1 entry, but the end of the Honda-Red Bull partnership has severed his direct link to the team. With Red Bull now building its own power unit with Ford, Honda's influence over driver placements at the energy drink giant is diminishing, potentially leaving Tsunoda without a clear path forward in the Red Bull family.

The details:

• Negotiation Status: Honda president Koji Watanabe confirmed that no agreement has been reached yet. Crucially, he noted that negotiations are not with Tsunoda directly, but with Red Bull.
• The Ford Factor: Watanabe explained that while Honda is willing, the scope of how they can utilize Tsunoda depends entirely on the terms Red Bull proposes given their new alliance with Ford.
• Reserve Role: Tsunoda lost his race seat after a difficult campaign alongside Max Verstappen and is currently fulfilling reserve duties at Red Bull, a role now in question.

Looking ahead:

As Honda pivots its factory allegiance to Aston Martin for the future, the focus shifts to how they will integrate their driver program with the Silverstone-based team.

• Watanabe stated there are currently no plans to merge the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP) with Aston Martin's driver academy.
• Honda will continue to nurture drivers up to F2 independently and recommend capable candidates to Aston Martin when appropriate, suggesting a looser relationship than the one they shared with Red Bull.