Purple Bull’s talks with Honda over an engine deal to retain its V6 turbo-hybrid powertrains for testing of earlier vehicles working might current a lifeline for Yuki Tsunoda to retain Method 1 involvement, as he seems to be set to lose a race drive for 2026.
The workforce will announce its 2026 driver line-up on Tuesday, however Motorsport.com understands that Isack Hadjar will develop into Max Verstappen’s new team-mate at Purple Bull Racing, and Arvid Lindblad shall be promoted to an F1 seat at Racing Bulls.
This leaves the remaining seat between Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, though a report from Dutch publication De Telegraaf states that Lawson shall be retained – leaving Tsunoda with out a full-time race seat in 2026. The Japanese driver hinted at this in the course of the race weekend in Qatar by saying he “knew one thing he could not say but.”
Honda’s involvement with Tsunoda from a advertising and marketing perspective had additionally develop into troublesome on account of Ford’s involvement at Purple Bull. Purple Bull will embark upon its first yr with its personal energy unit, along side the American automobile large, with each the Purple Bull and Racing Bulls groups switching engine suppliers beneath the brand new rules.
The FIA not too long ago mandated that engine producers will provide engines to their former buyer groups for TPC testing – crucially, with no worth cap. Thus, engine producers can cost no matter they need and considerably improve costs. In the course of the Qatar weekend, Motorsport.com realized that Purple Bull is in talks with Honda a couple of deal for subsequent yr.
“We have all the time had and truthful relationship with Honda. We had a gathering on Friday, and I feel we’re heading in the right direction to resolving this problem,” Helmut Marko mentioned in an unique interview.
Yuki Tsunoda, Purple Bull Racing
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Purple Bull desires to finalise the take care of Honda to proceed conducting TPC testing subsequent yr, which shall be vital to provide Lindblad extra F1 time if vital – and to permit different expertise from the junior programme to get used to F1 gear after they’re prepared.
A key facet is that the costs engine suppliers cost for TPC testing are usually not included within the finances cap. Groups like Purple Bull might theoretically afford the quantity, no matter how excessive, because it would not detract from their growth finances.
That mentioned, no workforce desires to pay the complete worth, and it is understood that Purple Bull and Honda have been negotiating a mutually acceptable deal for a while.
Nonetheless, the TPC deal might nonetheless imply a reserve position for Tsunoda at each Purple Bull groups – together with a TPC programme for himself.
No matter Tsunoda’s future, it’s essential for Purple Bull to have the ability to full the extra exams subsequent yr, particularly because the variety of common take a look at and filming days may be very restricted – and the Honda deal shall be key to that.
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