Honda in talks with Red Bull: Tsunoda to become Verstappen's next teammate?

Tsunoda is currently competing in his fourth season in F1. The Japanese driver was involved in incident early on his career, but has developed considerably since, given that was continuously proved to be the faster driver at VCARB compared to his three teammates over the years. That list includes Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson.

Much to Tsunoda's displeasure, a promotion to Red Bull Racing never seemed to be on the cards for the Japanese driver. In 2021, the team brought in Sergio Perez, and even as the Mexican went through several periods where he struggled, the Austrians are yet to replace him with a Red Bull junior. When the question of replacing Perez was raised, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson were considered to be more serious contenders.

Tsunoda to Red Bull Racing?

The Japanese driver has previously expressed on several occasions that he deserves a shot, and now he is also further supported by Koji Watanabe. "Regarding Tsunoda, our goal is for him to work hard and secure a seat at Red Bull Racing. We believe he has the talent. Of course, driver decisions are ultimately up to the team, but as a partner we’ve strongly requested that Tsunoda be given the chance to drive and test in a Red Bull car."

Tsunoda is yet to drive for the senior team, unlike Daniel Ricciardo, who was let go after the Singapore Grand Prix. " I’ve also spoken directly with Christian about this. He hasn’t ruled it out. Nothing has been decided yet, but I think we need to proceed properly."

Whether Red Bull will give an opportunity to Tsunoda remains to be seen. Moreover, the engine supplier will part ways with the Austrians at the end of the 2025 season, and join forces with Aston Martin entering the 2026 regulation change.

This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi

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