Tsunoda Red Bull future "nothing to do" with Honda withdrawal

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has insisted Honda's withdrawal from Formula 1 has no impact on the decision-making process regarding the team's driver line-up for 2021.

Red Bull and Honda junior Yuki Tsunoda is under consideration for a seat with the team, providing he finishes at least fourth in this year's F2 championship to secure the points required for an F1 super licence.

Tsunoda is to be given his first taste of an F1 car when he drives the 2018 STR13 at Imola on November 4, while he is also to take part in the young driver test at the end of the season.

The 20-year-old is one of four drivers in the running for the two seats with the team, along with Pierre Gasly, Daniil Kvyat and Alex Albon, with Tost confirming the choice of drivers will come down to performance only, rather than being politically motivated.

"Scuderia AlphaTauri currently has two fast drivers with Pierre and Daniil," said Tost.

"We will do the young driver test day with Yuki, and this has nothing to do with the decision from Honda that they will not continue after ’21.

"The philosophy at Red Bull is always the performance and if Yuki performs well and he is doing a really good job in Formula 2...he has won two races this year, at Spa and Silverstone if I remember rightly, and in Austria, he was leading the race in the wet until a few laps to go and because of radio problems he couldn’t win this race.

"He is doing a really good job and this is decisive, the performance of the driver, and this was always the philosophy and this will always stay like it is and then we will see what Red Bull decides regarding their drivers for 2021."

Both AlphaTauri drivers have performed well so far this season.

Kvyat's strong run of results was ended in Sunday's Eifel Grand Prix after a collision with Albon left him without a front wing for a full lap, leading to him finishing 15th and last of those that were classified.

Gasly, meanwhile, has arguably been one of the drivers of the season, at times often outperforming the car, notably in qualifying, while also scoring his maiden F1 victory at Monza in September.

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