Red Bull F1 star Yuki Tsunoda drive confirmed ahead of Mexican Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, Laurent Mekies, Yuki Tsunoda, 2025, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda F1 drive confirmed ahead of Mexican GP

Yuki Tsunoda's place within the team has been called into question recently

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 23 October 2025 11:58

It has been confirmed that Red Bull F1 star Yuki Tsunoda will drive a special Honda car during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.

While the Japanese racer heads to the circuit hoping to build on his points-paying performance he secured in the Red Bull at the US Grand Prix last time out, he will also take some time to drive around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Honda machinery.

The Red Bull-Honda partnership is coming to an end at the end of this season, with Red Bull set to build their own power units instead, and Honda going off to supply Aston Martin from 2026.

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It brings to an end a partnership that has been going since 2019 and has yielded four drivers' championships and two constructors' championships.

With five races of the partnership still left to go, the Honda-powered Red Bull could yet win another title, with Max Verstappen hunting down the two McLaren stars in the drivers' standings.

Either way, all eyes will be on Tsunoda during the Mexican GP weekend, as he takes Honda's first F1 race-winning car, the RA272, for a spin around the track to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Richie Ginther's 1965 victory.

The car will feature a livery that is inspired by the Japanese flag, and will have Japanese racer Tsunoda racing it round in what is set to be a crucial weekend for the 25-year-old.

"It is an honour to drive the RA272 at the special place where Honda achieved its first F1 victory," Tsunoda explained in an official statement.

"Driving on the track where the RA272 pioneered Japanese motorsports history 60 years ago is a particularly special and deeply moving experience. With Honda’s history of challenges in my heart, I want to give fans a drive that conveys dreams and passion."

Will Tsunoda retain his Red Bull seat?

Just as Honda and Red Bull are going their separate ways at the end of 2025, Tsunoda and Red Bull could well be set to do the same.

Tsunoda's form since joining the main Red Bull team in April has been poor, and he is set to be out of contract with the Red Bull family at the end of this season.

Both Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson have performed well for Red Bull sister team Racing Bulls in 2025, and it's thought at least the former is a candidate to replace Tsunoda.

With not many other seats open on the grid for 2026, that could well mean the 25-year-old dropping off the grid altogether, as Red Bull seek to find the perfect team-mate for four-time world champion Verstappen.

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