Yuki Tsunoda’s 2026 future will crystallise “in a short time” this yr, predicts Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Company.
Yuki Tsunoda‘s 2026 future will crystallise “in a short time” this yr, predicts Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Company.
Tsunoda, embarking on his fifth season with Red Bull‘s junior crew, was bypassed for Max Verstappen‘s 2025 teammate position. With Honda’s works partnership with Pink Bull ending this yr—shifting focus to Aston Martin’s 2026 engine—hypothesis swirls about his future.
“We’re aiming for homologation in February 2026,” Honda’s F1 venture chief Tetsushi Kakuda informed Ouest-France. “Since we began a little bit late, we wish to push issues again till the final second.
“It’s troublesome to say precisely what proportion of progress we have now made, however I feel we have now reached an vital milestone.”
Many doubt Tsunoda, 24, will stick with the Pink Bull household post-2025, eyeing a Honda-backed transfer to Aston Martin, although the crew insists Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are locked in for 2026.
“He is in his fifth yr in F1 and has loads of expertise, so I hope he could make the only option,” Watanabe stated this week, referring to Tsunoda, who Honda has backed for his whole F1 profession and earlier. “I feel this can be a crucial season, and the seat for subsequent yr will most likely be fastened in a short time, so I hope he can seize on the timing and the chance to take the following step. I imagine he can do this.”
Watanabe added a broader want: “However firstly, I would like all of them to realize the most effective outcomes this season.”
