The big news this weekend is that Adrian Newey will finally hang up his pencil in the Red Bull Racing design office after 20 seasons of designing Milton Keynes F1 challengers. Yet amidst all the hype over what might be next for the guru designer, the Formula One driver market is moving forward.
Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Nico Hülkenberg have all declared new contracts for 2025 and beyond yet a number of other drivers are out of contract this year and their representatives are beavering away behind the scenes to ensure they have a seat next season at motorsports top table.
Honda academy driver reaches F1
The Red Bull owned teams have four drivers all of whom have question marks over their futures with the organisation, the latest being Max Verstappen who issued veiled threats he could leave the world champion F1 team were his mentor Dr. Helmut Marko not retained.
Daniel Ricciardo was brought back to the fold as a reserve driver when McLaren sacked him a year before his contract with them was complete. The Aussie was expected to be back up and even a replacement for Sergio Perez during a period when Checo’s form was erratic.
Yuki Tsunoda is now in his fourth season with the RB team and whilst the Japanese driver has demonstrated an improvement in form, his very place in Formula One is due to his sponsor Honda. Yuki won the Japanese F4 championship in 2018 and was thrust into the world off international motorsport competition the following year in Formula 3.
Whilst noticeably quick, Tsunoda made an impact on the series but a string of errors meant the Japanese driver failed to capitalise on a number of race scenarios where big points or a win were on offer. Nevertheless Honda placed their academy driver with top F2 team Carlin the following season and again Yuki impressed with his outright pace, but clumsy mistakes meant that despite three wins that year, he only finished the season in third place.
Tsunoda gets Formula E champ team mate
Again Tsunoda was promoted and this time to the ultimate global racing series – Formula One. Yuki replaced Daniil Kvyat in the Red Bull junior squad and was partnered by Pierre Gasly who had returned to the team after a brief spell racing alongside Max Verstappen.
Despite being a rookie, Tsunoda underperformed that year scoring just 32 points for the team while Gasly racked up 100 points over the season. AlphaTauri fell back in the pecking order the following year and Tsunoda improved his contribution to the team’s efforts bringing home more than 50% of the points scored by his team mate Gasly.
Then it was all change as Gasly was released to Alpine and Nyck de Vries brought in, though we later discovered against the wishes of Christian Horner. Having been heavily promoted by Dr. Helmut Marko as the natural “team leader” the pressure was on the Formula E champion to deliver from day one.
Over the ten races De Vries raced against Yuki, he only came home ahead of his team mate on two occasions and a Pirelli test for Daniel Ricciardo signed his fate, as Christian Horner eulogised over the Australian’s pace.
Red Bull cost cap masterstroke with Newey internal move
Honda lost their influence
Ricciardo’s injury in Zandvoort and subsequent five Grand Prix absences meant the team mate comparison between Tsunoda and the eight time Grand Prix winner is chequered. Yuki has the upper hand at present – but only slightly – and Red Bull for now seem content to watch both Perez and Ricciardo before making decisions on their future for 2025.
Honda of course played a significant role in Tsunoda’s climb through the ranks to Formula One and the Red Bull engine tie up with them facilitated Yuki’s chance to grab a seat at the top table, without winning either F3 or F2 titles.
Yet having dithered over their future in the sport, Honda have lost the deal to partner with the most successful new Formula One team in modern times. Following the Honda announcement to withdraw from F1, Red Bull were facing a future with no engine partner having fallen out with Renault and knowing neither Ferrari or Mercedes would supply them as a customer team.
So Red Bull Powertrains was born and with the backing of Ford announced last season, the team will enter the unknown in 2026. Honda having subsequently rescinded their withdrawal from F1 will supply Aston Martin from 2026 onwards on a works team basis.
Newey: “Not signed an agreement with another F1 team”
Honda set to promote Tsunoda for Aston Martin drive
The natural assumption as part of the deal between Aston and Honda is that the Japanese manufacturer would want their driver in one of the cars. Yet Fernando Alonso has just signed a multi year deal taking him beyond 2026 and team owner Lawrence Stroll is showing no signs of replacing his underperforming son with a driver that can contribute more to the team’s progress.
Upon the announcement last season of the future tie up between Aston and Honda, the CEO of the Honda Racing Corporation Koji Watanabe said, “we’re hoping that he {Tsunoda] will become a candidate.” But it seems Honda have now accepted they have no right of veto over the Aston Martin drivers going forward which means Tsunoda’s future in F1 very much hangs in the balance.
Speaking to motorsport.com ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Watanabe now says the company is keen to “keep a close eye” on Tsunoda and hopes he will be promoted to Red Bull, even if Honda is no longer on board.
Huge Newey purchase confirms he’s Ferrari bound
Honda admit no control over Yuki’s future
“I think it’s a very beautiful story that Tsunoda would first play an active role at RB and then be promoted to Red Bull,” Watanabe said.
“Even if it’s after we’re gone, we would like to keep a close eye on him rising to the top teams. Tsunoda has graduated from the Honda Racing school, so that’s why from the HRC point of view it’s our dream that HRC students can become top drivers.
“So, it’s really important that Yuki becomes a top driver in Formula 1.”
Tsunoda like a number of drivers have nine ore races before the F1 summer break in August by which time many of the teams will have settled on their preferred choice of driver line up.
Verstappen reported to be “unhappy” with Newey
In a bold move, Adrian Newey has officially left Red Bull Racing, marking a significant turning point in both his illustrious career and the trajectory of the team. Known for his groundbreaking contributions to Formula 1 car design, Newey’s departure comes amidst a transformative period for Red Bull, characterised by internal power shifts and strategic reorganisations.
The separation of Formula 1 racing team Red Bull Racing and Adrian Newey is causing quite a stir ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. Jos Verstappen, father of Max, also added fuel to the fire, painting a gloomy picture with a view to the future of the team…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
