With Honda creating distance between itself and Yuki Tsunoda, Helmut Marko has said the Japanese driver must “motivate himself” to keep a seat in Formula 1.

Tsunoda was overlooked for a promotion to the Red Bull Racing team for F1 2025, with the now experienced veteran of Red Bull’s second team bypassed by the inexperienced Liam Lawson to become Max Verstappen’s teammate this season.

Helmut Marko: If Tsunoda can’t motivate himself, maybe there’s no more F1 chance

Tsunoda had a tough start to life in F1, with his propensity for incidents and inability to control his temper resulting in frustration at the then-AlphaTauri team with his progress in his first two seasons.

But, after former teammate Pierre Gasly moved onto Alpine, Tsunoda assumed the leadership of the rebranded Racing Bulls squad and compared well against Daniel Ricciardo during last year.

With Ricciardo completely replaced by the highly-rated but unproven Lawson after last year’s Singapore GP, their partnership took on a different complexion as it became clear the two drivers were being evaluated in a head-to-head scenario to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Lawson’s strong self-belief and headstrong nature won out, with his on-track performances on par with Tsunoda’s – suggesting plenty of potential for Lawson given his lack of experience relative to Tsunoda.

The big question about Tsunoda for this season is whether or not he will be on the grid in 2026. After the Red Bull junior programme remained unmoving in recent years as Ricciardo and Perez remained in their seats, the highly-rated Arvid Lindblad is knocking on the door of Formula 1, while Isack Hadjar has stepped up as Tsunoda’s teammate at Racing Bulls.

Speaking to media during the Bahrain pre-season tests, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was asked about how the company keeps the Japanese driver motivated to perform at his best, having been overlooked for a promotion and bypassed by a far less experienced driver.

“It was mainly a question of mental strength and, around Mexico, Yuki, unfortunately, had these two accidents, and Liam did very well,” he said.

“He has to show… he has a fast, young teammate, and it’s his future, you know?

“So he has to motivate himself, and, if he’s doing well, there is a future. If not, maybe there’s no more chance in F1.”

More on F1 2026

👉 F1 2026 driver line-up: Who is already confirmed for the 2026 grid?

👉 F1 2025 driver heights: The tallest, shortest and everyone in between

Honda admits ‘there’s not much more we can do’ for Yuki Tsunoda

Overlooked for the Red Bull seat, opportunities for Tsunoda now dwindle significantly for the future, particularly with Honda’s involvement with Red Bull coming to an end after this season. Tsunoda enjoyed backing from Honda through his career, helping him retain his seat after 2023 as Red Bull evaluated change for ’24, but the parting of the ways of Honda and Red Bull suggests that safety net will disappear.

Aston Martin, with whom Honda partners up with on a new factory deal next season, is a closed shop at present with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll contracted for next year, with no other Honda-powered teams on the grid.

Speaking to the Japanese branch of Motorsport.com, Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe has explained that it’s time for Tsunoda to make an impression in his own right rather than rely on their help.

“He [Tsunoda] needs to take action himself,” he said.

“I want him to make the best choices for himself.

“He’s now in his fifth year, has the ability, and understands the world of F1 well.

“There’s not much more we can do for him. He needs to solidify his support team, including his manager, and secure the necessary seat. He is a professional, after all.

“Drivers can’t rely on Honda forever. Someone of Tsunoda’s career level needs to think for himself.

“Tsunoda has a sponsorship agreement with us. He is fundamentally an independent driver, but we support him as a sponsor.”

The leading options for Tsunoda would appear to be at the budding Cadillac F1 team, which is set to join the grid next season, or aim to impress Red Bull to the point where he re-enters the conversation as a possibility for the team should a vacancy become available for any reason.

The Japanese driver appears to have taken the knockback of the Red Bull rejection seriously, and swapped out his management team for F1 2025.

Mario Miyakawa and Luis Alvarez have made way for Diego Menchaca, with Menchaca an experienced racer on the single-seater and GT scenes.

And Tsunoda is happy with the impact that the 30-year-old is already making, as he looks to secure his long-term future in Formula 1.

“I am not working [with] Mario anymore, and Luis as well,” Tsunoda told Autosport.

“I’m really happy with Diego.

“He’s motivated, definitely. Once we decided to work together, he immediately went to Helmut’s office to build a relationship. That kind of effort, I really appreciate – and obviously, Helmut did too.

“They already have a good relationship, which is a good start. But in the end, the most important thing is to perform on track, which will make Diego’s life easier.”

Read Next: ‘I know Flavio’ – Schumacher’s stark ‘over after Australia’ warning to Jack Doohan