Amidst rumors linking him to Aston Martin in 2026, Yuki Tsunoda remains steadfast in his pursuit of a Red Bull seat, dismissing the speculation as baseless.
Last spring, following Honda’s announcement of its engine supply deal with Aston Martin from 2026, the Japanese manufacturer expressed its hope that Tsunoda would become a candidate for a seat with the Silverstone-based outfit.
However, the 23-year-old charger, who completed this year with AlphaTauri his third season in F1, insists his loyalty lies with Red Bull, and he hopes that his commitment to the Faenza-based squad will not be compromised by the unfounded rumors of a move to Aston in the future.
Tsunoda has made clear that his focus remains on delivering consistent performances for AlphaTauri and proving his worth to Red Bull’s senior team.
The prospect of a seat at Red Bull is particularly enticing, with Tsunoda’s teammate Daniel Ricciardo also openly expressing his desire to replace Sergio Perez in 2025.
Tsunoda, aware of this situation, is determined to excel at AlphaTauri and showcase his capabilities to Red Bull. He hopes that his performance will silence the speculation and solidify his position as a future Red Bull driver.
"I hope so, to be honest because I don't want Red Bull to misunderstand that I am just focusing on Aston Martin or anything," Tsunoda told the media last month in Abu Dhabi.
"I'm with AlphaTauri and have been with Honda since I was 18 years old, I just need to focus on performing for Red Bull, not for Aston Martin or something like that.
"Hopefully, they don't misunderstand these things and hopefully they really consider me for the future.”
©AlphaTauri
Tsunoda suggested that his fate is in his own hands, but the Japanese driver would like for Red Bull to show more interest in his talent.
It remains to be seen however if Red Bull will continue to field the Japanese charger in one of its teams from 2026, after the end of its partnership with Honda.
"If I perform well, then I am the driver,” he said. “But if I didn't, I understand, but if I am able to show my performance, I would like to have a bit more attention.
"I saw on social media that Red Bull thinks I am already going to Aston Martin, and that is why they don't put me in the Red Bull.
"I don't know if that is true or not, because it is social media, but if it is, than it is not the case.”
Tsunoda reckons that Honda has no preference for where he might race as long as he is successful.
©AlphaTauri
“I just have to show my performance and convince them to make sure that I am the real material to be in a Red Bull.
"If it is the case, then I am not happy with it, because it's not true, and I don't know the conversations they are having with Honda - who still supply the engine.
"But for Honda, what they are saying as long as one day a Japanese driver can be successful, they don't care where I go.
"They want a Japanese driver to be successful, and obviously, we would be lucky if we can work together for this success, but if they don't, they don't care about it - and that is what I like.
"They don't care which team you are with, they don't really focus on Aston Martin, just Yuki Tsunoda the driver to make me a successful driver."
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