Despite claims to the contrary, Honda has confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda remains unsigned for the forthcoming season.
Dropped by Red Bull in favour of Isack Hadjar, and the second seat at Racing Bulls claimed by Arvid Lindblad, it was assumed that the popular Japanese driver would be the test and reserve for both outfits, however, a potential stumbling block was the switch to Ford power units.
Then again, with Honda now partnering Aston Martin, and many former Red Bull personnel having joined the Silverstone-based outfit, this was seen as another possible opportunity for the popular Japanese.
However, Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, claims that this is not the case.
“Regarding this year’s contract with Tsunoda, negotiations are ongoing, so no specific agreement has been finalised yet,” he told reporters at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
“This will be discussed in future talks,” he added. “From Honda’s perspective, there’s no problem. The crucial point is how Ford, or rather Red Bull, views the situation.
“Depending on the terms Red Bull proposes, the scope within which Honda can utilise Tsunoda will change,” he continued, “I believe that scenario is possible. However, the negotiations are not with Tsunoda himself, but with Red Bull.”
Asked about a role with Aston Martin, he replied: “There are no such plans as yet. I expect we will continue to coordinate various programmes with Aston Martin, but at this point there is nothing we have agreed upon that says, ‘Let’s do this right now’.
“Therefore, at this point, we will continue to nurture drivers up to F2 within the HFDP, Honda’s own programme, and if any drivers emerge who are capable of driving in F1, we will recommend them to Aston Martin.