Aston Martin 'eyeing rival F1 driver' as Fernando Alonso faces nervous wait

Aston Martin is reportedly an option for Yuki Tsunoda next season, leaving Fernando Alonso in a difficult position, despite his contract running until the end of the 2026 campaign. The Japanese racer is expected to leave Red Bull at the end of the year, meaning he is on the market for midfield teams looking to upgrade their driver line-ups. Tsunoda's stock was extremely high heading into the 2025 campaign, and many believed that the 25-year-old was wrongly overlooked for a Red Bull promotion in favour of Liam Lawson.

This quickly proved to be a blessing in disguise as the New Zealander floundered in the cockpit of the ill-handling RB21. Then Tsunoda got his shot. After two races, Lawson was replaced, but his successor didn't fare much better. In 10 Grand Prix weekends, the Kanagawa-born starlet has scored points on just four occasions, one of which was a sprint race. He is on a five-race run of bottom-eight finishes.

According to a report from GPblog, a decision has already been made about Tsunoda's Red Bull future. The racer with 99 Grand Prix starts will leave the Milton Keynes squad at the end of the season.

The report highlights that, amid interest from other midfield and backmarker teams, Aston Martin are an option for the 25-year-old. Lawrence Stroll's squad have ambitions to chase World Championships when the new technical regulations come into play after spending big on Adrian Newey, making them an exciting proposition for any driver.

For Tsunoda, the link is obvious. In 2026, Aston Martin will be aided by Honda power units, with the Japanese engine manufacturer, formerly partnered with Red Bull, locked into an exclusive agreement with Team Silverstone.

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Honda has played a huge role in Tsunoda's career until this point. They backed him through the feeder series ladder, as they did with Racing Bulls reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa, and their financial contribution reportedly helped secure him an opportunity with Red Bull.

If Honda brings Tsunoda with them to Aston Martin, this would leave two-time world champion Alonso in a sticky situation. The Spaniard is contracted until the end of the 2026 campaign, but so is team-mate Lance Stroll, and with the latter being the son of the team's owner, it doesn't take a detective to work out who would make way for the Japanese driver.

Fortunately for Alonso, he has the backing of his team principal. When Andy Cowell was asked about links with Max Verstappen earlier this year, he replied: "I'm saying that my head is full of improving the company so that we can make a fast race car for Lance and Fernando."