Tsunoda "needs to think for himself" as Honda move away from him

Honda has clarified that Yuki Tsunoda is 'in principle an independent driver' who is sponsored by the Japanese manufacturer. According to CEO Koji Watanabe, it is therefore no longer necessary for Honda to negotiate for the Japanese driver.

Backed by Honda, Tsunoda made his F1 debut in 2021 with AlphaTauri, the sister team of Red Bull Racing that now goes by the name Racing Bulls. After 2025, the collaboration between Honda and Red Bull will come to an end, and so the Japanese driver will have to force a possible chance at the Austrian team himself without the backing of Honda.

Honda themselves are joining forces with Aston Martin in 2026, but Tsunoda can't count on being allowed to go to Silverstone for that reason. "He needs to take action himself," HRC president Watanabe said in an interview with the Japanese edition of Motorsport.com. "I want him to make the best choices for himself."

He adds that Tsunoda is in his fifth year and has the capabilities to understand how Formula 1 works. "There’s not much more we can do for him," said Watanabe, pointing out that the Japanese driver needs to strengthen his own management team to secure himself a seat in 2026. "Drivers can’t rely on Honda forever. Someone of Tsunoda’s career level needs to think for himself."

The Racing Bulls driver seems to have understood that message. He parted ways with his now former managers after missing out on the seat next to Max Verstappen for 2025, with the less experienced Liam Lawson getting promoted from the sister team. His new manager immediately knocked on the door of top advisor Helmut Marko to build a relationship with him.

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy

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