Currently, more than half the grid has reserved their seats for 2025, and there are very few teams remaining for the remaining drivers. Yuki Tsunoda, the promising VCARB racer, has been on everyone’s radar as he is P10 in the driver’s world championship. However, he does not have a contract for 2025, as he was expecting to get the Red Bull promotion to the main team. When that did not work out, Tsunoda had to be prepared, and luckily he had another option in mind.

As Tsunoda’s move to Red Bull is no longer an option because of Sergio Perez’s contract renewal, he is considering his options for next year. VCARB is doing well in the midfield, but that is not enough for Tsunoda, who wants to fight for the championship. A month ago, there were reports that the Japanese driver was considering Aston Martin racing if Red Bull was not the way for him to go. But now, as you must be wondering, Aston Martin Racing has both its seats taken, and here is the interesting development around Lance Stroll’s seat.

Lance Stroll’s say on the Aston Martin seat

Interesting developments have surfaced as Lance Stroll put out a message that might just be great news for Yuki Tsunoda. Reports of Lance Stroll saying that he wants to continue with Aston Martin Racing despite not having a contract renewal have piqued curiosity as to why the team led by his father is delaying his contract.

Fernando Alonso has already signed with the team, and while the second seat is empty, it was presumed to be booked for Stroll. Lawrence Stroll, being the team owner, has had his son racing for him ever since he took over. This trend was expected to carry on into the future; however, there has been a significant delay in Lance Stroll’s contract. With the seat still empty, this raises hopes for Yuki Tsunoda to get into a competitive team in 2025.

David Croft from Sky Sports F1 asked the Aston Martin driver, “Lance, we don’t often talk about your contract. I know you said you’re committed to the F1 project with Aston Martin, but does that mean we’ll see you on the grid in 2025? Is the home race a good time to announce that?” To this, Stroll replied, “Yeah, that’s where my head’s at, for sure. Seems to be a pretty popular question that I’ve been getting asked recently. And yeah, it’s super exciting. Everything that’s happening at Silverstone and the project with the team and how we’ve grown over the last few years. And we continue to grow. So it’s definitely in my mind, too, continue being a part of that, but really focused on Montréal this weekend and enjoy my home race and trying to have a good result this weekend.”

With this Stroll does not confirm his seat but diverts the topic to the weekend race. Aston Martin Racing is currently P5 in the constructors championship followed by the Racing Bull. Yuki Tsunoda has a chance of getting a step up by moving to the Silverstone-based team and that is what he might try for. For now, it’s considered that Lance Stroll will get a contract extension, but while there is a delay in the news, there is a lot of room for speculation. Maybe Lawrence Stroll wants to focus on the team a little more than having a seat for his son. This can lead to an unexpected shift in the grid lineup for 2025.

However, why Aston Martin over all the other teams must be a question on your mind. Let’s take a look at why the Silverstone team is Yuki Tsunoda’s best bet besides VCARB.

Yuki Tsunoda mentions his desire for Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Racing is currently working hard on building a strong infrastructure for the F1 team. A new wind tunnel is in the works and the team boss is convinced that he can produce a championship-winning car. Yuki Tsunoda has ties with Japanese Power Unit supplies Honda, which will be the team engine supplier for Aston Martin in 2026. That being said there is a strong possibility that that’s where Tsunoda will head.

This was mentioned by Tsunoda himself during an interview in May, where he talked about his prospects for 2025. According to PlanetF1, Tsunoda stated, “Yeah, I mean, so far very happy with the VCARB.” He then described the situation of the team in the championship saying, “I mean, now we’re fighting, like, almost… Yeah, sometimes like even P7 or P8, so I mean other options… and like probably now the top teams are pretty much taken.”

He explained his plans for the future as he said, “I think, obviously, especially when I’m in Red Bull, you want to always aim for Red Bull. But, you know, if they don’t want me or they’re not expecting me into the seat, yeah, if I’ve got an interesting offer that could be better than even VCARB or Red Bull, yeah, I’ll think about it.” Ultimately breaking the news he said, “But I also have a big loyalty to Red Bull as without them I wouldn’t be here, and obviously Honda as well. And speaking of Honda, maybe Aston Martin, but you know, Aston also, they’re taken by two drivers.”

Now that Lance Stroll is still to be confirmed for the team, the seat is potentially free. Does this mean it’s Tsunoda’s for the taking? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.