Despite his low chances of booking a Formula One seat in 2027, Yuki Tsunoda remains fully committed to returning to the F1 grid.
Japanese racing driver Yuki Tsunoda is fully locked in on a potential return to the Formula 1 grid. He's not switching to another competition just yet, even if it's for IndyCar.
But does Tsunoda have a real shot at returning to F1's main grid in 2027? Let's look at the fierce competition that awaits Tsunoda if he pursues an F1 seat next year.
Might have to forget about a Red Bull seat
After an underwhelming 2025 season that saw him score only 33 points (compared to teammate Max Verstappen's 421), Red Bull Racing replaced Tsunoda with French driver Isack Hadjar. Tsunoda did stay in the F1 paddock, serving as the reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
But a return to the main Red Bull seat might be difficult for Tsunoda. Once Red Bull demotes a driver, it's unprecedented for them to bring that driver back.
Take, for example, Pierre Gasly, who is now driving for the Alpine F1 Team. Gasly joined Red Bull in 2019, but was demoted back to Toro Rosso after 12 races. His replacement, Alex Albon, didn't do particularly well.
In 2020, Gasly achieved his first F1 Grand Prix win in Monza. If Red Bull knew they made a mistake in demoting Gasly, they didn't publicly show it. They never brought back the French driver to the main team.
That's why it's almost improbable for Tsunoda to return to Red Bull in 2027.
Potential landing spots at Haas or Aston Martin
With a pipeline to Red Bull's main seats seemingly closed, Tsunoda's camp might be closely monitoring movements in two teams.
Aston Martin's Honda partnership
Since 2016, Tsunoda has had the support of the Honda Formula Dream Project driver program. His ties with Honda connect him to a potential seat in Aston Martin. Honda became the team's official power unit manufacturer, starting this 2026 season.
Should Fernando Alonso decide to retire or transfer to another team when his Aston Martin contract ends this year, Honda might influence the team to look at Tsunoda's services.
Haas's Japanese team principal
Back in April 2025, Haas's Japanese team principal Ayao Komatsu praised Tsunoda's driving ability, saying that it could be a "game-changer" for F1's visibility in Japan.
With Esteban Ocon currently struggling to keep his 2026 performance up, Haas could be looking at a replacement at the end of the season. A couple of candidates have appeared on their radar, particularly Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael Camara. One could also think that Komatsu has Tsunoda's name on his mind.
The tricky hurdle here is that Haas already has a technical partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing, putting it in direct conflict with Tsunoda's Honda ties. Tsunoda might be forced to sever his connection with Honda to sign with a Toyota-backed F1 team.
