Honda boss reveals what they ‘intend to express’ to Red Bull regarding Yuki Tsunoda’s future in F1

Follow us on Google Discover

Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull promotion has turned into a curse rather than the blessing it was intended to be, putting his F1 future in jeopardy.

After being a part of a seat swap with Liam Lawson after just two races at the beginning of the 2025 F1 season, Tsunoda has struggled with the same issue that has plagued the second driver at Red Bull for a number of years now.

The issue in question is the impressive results that Max Verstappen records on a consistent basis. The Austrian constructor currently sit fourth in the F1 standings, and the Japanese driver has been of little help to the effort, contributing just 8% of those points.

With a P6 finish in Baku serving as his best result of the season so far, it is looking more and more likely that the Red Bull driver won’t be donning their navy blue overalls for much longer.

An SQ1 exit for Tsunoda during qualifying for the Brazilian GP Sprint race certainly won’t help the 25-year-old’s hopes of retaining his seat.

READ MORE: Yuki Tsunoda can save his F1 seat for 2026 by copying a famous Sergio Perez tactic

Honda President Koji Watanabe intends to speak to Red Bull before they make a decision on Yuki Tsunoda’s F1 future

It was previously reported that Tsunoda’s ties to Honda may give him the upper hand over his competitors during negotiations with Red Bull regarding his future.

Helmut Marko is keen on promoting Arvid Lindblad to Formula 1 through a seat at Racing Bulls next season.

Hadjar’s impressive rookie season puts him in pole position to pair with Verstappen at the front-running team next year, leaving just one seat for Lawson and Tsunoda at the Faenza-based squad.

In an interview with Autosport Web, Honda President Koji Watanabe has outlined his plan to ensure that the Japanese driver will be part of the ‘Red Bull family’ for the upcoming campaign.

He said, ” We are partners and have built a relationship of trust over the years, so it remains to be seen how much of an impact that will have.

“However, as I have said before, the choice of driver is up to the team. We believe that Tsunoda has potential, and we intend to express our opinion that he will be fully capable of being a part of the Red Bull family in 2026 as well.”

Then asked whether he would accept a step down to Racing Bulls for Tsunoda, Watanabe replied, “That is a decision that the team will make, and then it’s up to the individual to decide.

“If the team and the individual come to an agreement and he remains in the Red Bull family, we will be satisfied.”

READ MORE: Arvid Lindblad’s manager has privately explained why he’ll be better than Liam Lawson if he gets F1 seat

Jolyon Palmer highlights how Max Verstappen hasn’t been at a ‘disadvantage’ with Yuki Tsunoda’s lack of help in the title fight

Tsunoda’s woes have been compounded by Verstappen’s emergence as a genuine title contender in the second half of the season.

After starting the season on the wrong foot, Red Bull have continued to upgrade the RB21 despite the rest of the grid’s shift in focus to the new F1 regulations.

Verstappen is currently 36 points off Lando Norris in the top spot. Oscar Piastri is one point behind his McLaren counterpart, meaning that both drivers for the Woking-based outfit are solely focused on their own title hopes.

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer was asked on F1’s Weekend Warm-Up whether it would be helpful for Verstappen’s title chances to have his teammate aiding his charge, to which he replied, “Oh, it would be helpful.

“We saw it last year in the sprint where Oscar gave way for Lando, and that was the little bit of help, and if McLaren backed one horse, that horse would become an overwhelming favourite because they would have one helping the other.

“The leg up would be enough. I’m sure Red Bull don’t have the chance to do that because Yuki’s not competitive enough.

“So as it is, it’s not really an advantage or a disadvantage. There are three independents effectively going for the title.”