“I’m sure they’re pushing”: Yuki Tsunoda opens up on Honda’s role in his Red Bull promotion

Yuki Tsunoda believes Honda has advocated on his behalf for a potential Red Bull Racing promotion for 2025 and beyond. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, during the Las Vegas GP weekend, the VCARB driver expressed frustration over his slim chances of securing a seat with the senior team.

Despite impressive performances, including a standout qualifying session in Brazil, Tsunoda has not emerged as a frontrunner for the seat alongside Max Verstappen. Instead, his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo and current teammate Liam Lawson are considered stronger candidates.

Reports also speculate that Honda previously pushed for Tsunoda to participate in a Red Bull RB20 test, but it did not materialize. Adding to the uncertainty, Williams driver Franco Colapinto has reportedly entered the conversation for the seat.

Heading into the Las Vegas weekend, Tsunoda acknowledged Honda’s support but admitted the situation with Red Bull remains ambiguous. While he has been in direct talks with Red Bull, he noted that the team’s ever-changing dynamics make the path forward unclear. Despite the backing and his own merits, Tsunoda feels focusing on the situation has only added to his frustration.

Asked by Sportskeeda if Honda had pushed for the Red Bull promotion for 2025 and beyond, Yuki Tsunoda said:

“Yeah, I don't know relationship specifically between Red Bull and Honda. But for sure Honda is helping me, since when I was young and currently Honda and Red Bull are working with each together. So somehow I'm sure they're pushing, but Yeah, it's just a Red Bull thing. For whatever reason, It’s not, it's not working. But yeah, I don't know, I just stop thinking about that, it's a useless thing, pointless to think about."

Probed further on Honda’s support in the situation, he replied:

“I mean I am not really talking about Honda yet, Honda, to be honest. I’m just focusing what I'm doing and I am more talking with Red Bull. So, I mean, Honda at some point, in a scenario okay if I jumped into the Red Bull, maybe some things happen maybe. But I'm just talking to Red Bull. Honda, I appreciate them that always supporting me. But yeah Its just that I am a part of Red Bull so I am talking to Red Bull directly.”

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Yuki Tsunoda believes ‘destroying’ teammates remains agenda for the final three races on the calendar

Yuki Tsunoda has outlined his primary goal for the final races of the 2024 season: to outperform teammate Liam Lawson in the fight for a potential Red Bull promotion. The 22-year-old believes that despite outperforming teammates like Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo this season, his future within the Red Bull system remains out of his control.

Tsunoda’s focus is now solely on delivering strong individual performances to impress his employers. While he admitted to feeling impatient with his situation earlier in the year, particularly before the summer break, he has since adopted a more indifferent attitude toward the outcome.

Asked if he was running out of patience with Red Bull since he is being overlooked for other choices, Yuki Tsunoda replied:

“It's uh, it's just there was a time that probably I started getting impatient probably just before before summer break. But this thing, like I said, because I can't control and yeah, it's just part of the life. This is life and I just keep have to keep doing what I'm doing, you know, and in fact, It's not, I'm not the one who got, you know, I'm the one who's racing still now. Whoever they keep sending the driver to, you know, to me to beat me whatever. I just keep destroying them. So lets see, well, that's what I'm gonna do.”

Yuki Tsunoda’s contract with Red Bull’s sister team, VCARB, has been extended through the end of the 2025 season. However, with Honda transitioning to Aston Martin as their engine supplier, questions remain about how this move might impact the Japanese driver’s prospects. Tsunoda, backed by Honda, has consistently outperformed teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Despite this, Red Bull has been hesitant to link him with a promotion to the senior team, even though his performances have been strong enough to warrant consideration. Currently, he has scored 28 of VCARB’s 44 points this season. However, the Faenza-based team has slipped to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship standings after being overtaken by Alpine and Haas.