Franz Tost says Toro Rosso will likely include a Japanese driver "sooner or later" in its line-up, with Honda's F2 racer Nirei Fukuzumi well positioned to join the Faenza-based outfit.
The junior bull squad has entrusted its cars to Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley this season, but past performance is no indication of the future as Helmut Marko's ruthless approach to driver selection has often shown.
Honda currently supports two of its protégés in F2, Fukuzumi and Tadasuke Makino, with former considered to be first in line for a graduation to the big time.
"Of course, there is the Honda link, and what we want is to have sooner or later a Japanese driver," Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost told Autosport when asked about Fukuzumi's prospects.
"Here, it is in his hands. He must show a good performance and then we will see."
The 21-year-old Arden driver hasn't exactly set F2 alight with his spectacular performances this season, having secured just a single point in the six races held to date, while Russian Times' Makino has a current tally of four points in the series standings.
Regardless of Honda's ambitions, neither driver is currently eligible for an F1 superlicence, which perhaps makes any discussions about the future a bit futile and premature.
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