Yuki Tsunoda yet to sign Honda contract amid ongoing Red Bull talks
Yuki Tsunoda has been demoted to a Red Bull reserve role for 2026
Red Bull reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda is yet to sign a new contract with long-term backer Honda ahead of the F1 2026 season, it has emerged.
Tsunoda has been demoted to a reserve role for this season with Isack Hadjar promoted as Max Verstappen’s new teammate for F1 2026.
Yuki Tsunoda yet to sign new Honda contract as Red Bull-Ford partnership begins
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Red Bull’s technical partnership with Honda, Tsunoda’s long-term backer, concluded at the end of last season, with the Aston Martin team becoming Honda’s new partner from 2026.
Despite Honda switching allegiance ahead of the new season, Tsunoda has remained at Red Bull, which has entered a new partnership with Ford.
Red Bull and sister team Racing Bulls will become the first teams to reveal their F1 2026 race liveries later today (Thursday) in a Ford season-launch event in Detroit.
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Koji Watanabe, the president of the Honda Racing Corporation, has revealed that the manufacturer remains in talks with Red Bull over the nature of its relationship with Tsunoda in 2026.
And he insisted that Honda has “no problem” with Tsunoda remaining attached to Red Bull despite the arrival of Ford.
Watanabe told Motorsport.com: “Regarding this year’s contract with Tsunoda, negotiations are ongoing so no specific agreement has been finalised yet.
“This will be discussed in future talks.
“From Honda’s perspective, there’s no problem. The crucial point is how Ford, or rather Red Bull, views the situation.
“Depending on the terms Red Bull proposes, the scope within which Honda can utilise Tsunoda will change… I believe that scenario is possible.
“The negotiations are not with Tsunoda himself, but with Red Bull.”
Watanabe’s comments come after Tsunoda addressed his relationship with Honda after learning the news of his demotion ahead of the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
He told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “I appreciate their support over the years and let’s see how it goes in the future.
“I appreciate a lot their support and a lot of people as well.
“Next year is going to be a different direction we’re going to take, but I’ll still be around and I guess we’ll see how we can collaborate with each other.”
Tsunoda is expected to pursue opportunities to return to F1 on a full-time basis in 2027.
Haas was among the teams linked with a move to Tsunoda in the summer of 2024 before Red Bull moved to extend the Japanese driver’s contract.
Haas has since entered a technical partnership with rival Japanese brand Toyota, which could prove a complication if the team renews its interest in the Honda-affiliated Tsunoda during the 2026 season.
Ayao Komatsu, the Tokyo-born Haas team principal, refused to rule out a move for Tsunoda at the end of last season, insisting that the team’s focus is on positioning itself to attract the strongest possible driver pairing for 2027.
Asked if he would be interested in working with Tsunoda at some stage, Komatsu told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “I can’t comment on his future. Obviously he’s not our driver.
“2027? I think we have to focus on ’26 with our drivers and with brand-new regulations.
“I think most of the drivers knew that, obviously, as they wanted to see how ’26 pans out and they wanted to pick a better team for ’27.
“That’s why the driver market is going to be so open for ’27.
“So to put ourselves in a better position, our best position, the important thing is we’ve got to have a competitive ’26 season.
“That’s our focus.”
Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon will compete for Haas this season having finished just three points apart in the 2025 standings.
Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher
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