Hiroki Tsunoda’s future stays unresolved as he has not but signed a brand new F1 contract for 2026 amid negotiations with Honda and Purple Bull.
After being faraway from Purple Bull’s 2026 driver line-up, Tsunoda has been named the group’s take a look at driver and reserve driver for the upcoming F1 season. However a complication arose.
Tsunoda is a Honda-backed driver, however the Japanese producer will finish its partnership with Purple Bull and as an alternative work with Ford to make use of its personal energy unit, which it can provide to Aston Martin from 2026.
Honda Racing Company President Koji Watanabe stated the 25-year-old Japanese driver’s future with Honda was in jeopardy consequently.
Watanabe admitted, “We’re nonetheless negotiating this 12 months’s contract with Tsunoda, so no concrete settlement has been determined but.”
“We are going to talk about this in future conferences.
“From Honda’s standpoint, there is no such thing as a drawback. The necessary factor is how Ford, or quite Purple Bull, views this case.
“The extent to which Honda can make the most of Tsunoda will change relying on the circumstances Purple Bull presents…I feel that situation is feasible.
“Negotiations might be made with Purple Bull, not with Tsunoda himself.”
Tsunoda’s F1 journey with Honda
Tsunoda has been a part of the Honda Method Dream Venture since making his single-seater debut in 2016. With Honda’s help, he joined the Purple Bull Junior Staff in 2019 and made his F1 debut with AlphaTauri (presently Racing Bulls) in 2021.
Tsunoda remained with Purple Bull’s sister group till the third race of the 2025 season when he was promoted to the senior group to switch underperforming Liam Lawson.
Nonetheless, Tsunoda endured a nightmarish marketing campaign alongside Max Verstappen, and was demoted himself on the finish of the 12 months.
Isaac Hajjar will graduate from Racing Bulls and race with Purple Bull in 2026.
Watanabe downplayed the opportunity of an identical settlement between Aston Martin and Purple Bull concerning Honda’s junior drivers.
“There aren’t any such plans but,” he added. “We are going to proceed to coordinate numerous applications with Aston Martin, however there is no such thing as a settlement in the mean time to say ‘let’s do that now’.
“Due to this fact, presently we are going to proceed to coach drivers as much as F2 inside Honda’s personal program, HFDP, and if a driver emerges able to driving in F1, we are going to advocate them to Aston Martin.”
A number of F2 race winner and 2025 championship runner-up Jack Crawford is presently Aston Martin’s reserve driver.
