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Red Bull Prodigy Highlights F1 Dream as Aston Martin’s Collab With Honda Renews Hope

Published 08/13/2023, 12:00 PM EDT

As notorious as Red Bull has become for putting pressure on its drivers and replacing them at the drop of a hat, it’s also made a name for itself in terms of its driver academy. Over the years, the Red Bull Junior Program has churned out mega talent—Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, and Carlos Sainz, to name a few. It’s not just those who mde it to Formula 1, though. The likes of Liam Lawson and Jak Crawford have made a name for themselves in the junior categories, with another Red Bull prodigy making headlines recently. Who is it? Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa.

The 21-year-old Honda-backed driver was signed by the Red Bull academy in 2021 after he won the French F4 Championship in 2020. Currently competing with DAMS in F2 (his second season in the series), he’s been making waves in the circuit, his name even being brought up in the F1 Paddock occasionally. Considering Aston Martin’s mega-deal with Honda from 2026, could this be his ticket into F1?

Aston Martin could be Ayumu Iwasa’s fastest path into F1

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To put into perspective how talented Iwasa is, when Nyck De Vries’ seat at AlphaTauri came into question, he was one of the top contenders for the seat alongside Ricciardo and Lawson. If that doesn’t show Red Bull’s belief in him, what does? When the time comes for Lawson or him to step into F1 in one of the Red Bull seats, there’s a possibility it’d go for Lawson because of the added experience the Kiwi has. If the Milton-Keynes team does choose Lawson over him, a spot at Honda-customer Aston Martin could always be an option.

🚨 | Daniel Ricciardo is a potential contender to join AlphaTauri next season.
Red Bull are open to the move and will evaluate Ricciardo's level this summer.
Juniors like Ayumu Iwasa and Liam Lawson will also be in contention for the seat, should there be a change in drivers… pic.twitter.com/Fi71PLhMi1
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) June 25, 2023

While discussing the partnership between the two manufacturing giants, Iwasa said, as quoted by the Japanese website as-web.jp, “As a driver of Red Bull and Honda, I am participating in FIA F2 this season with the support of both.” [Translated by Google] To prove he’s worth a shot, the Japanese driver knows what he needs to do and is already doing it. “It’s all about becoming a champion and staying in that position. Therefore, I’m not conscious of that.” Considering he’s still a step away from F1, the only thing he’s focusing on right now is F2.

He added, “In the end, my performance in FIA F2 is important. If I perform well and everyone recognizes me, where do I go from here? But I should be able to become a driver that people would call out to me, and that’s what I’m aiming for now.”

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He’s already on the radar since Helmut Marko revealed he’s one of the prime candidates to replace De Vries in 2024. Honda returning to F1 could make a big difference in his career. But after Honda quit F1 due to differing views with Red Bull, how did Aston Martin reel the Japanese brand back in?

How did Aston Martin entice Honda to return to F1?

Honda has a goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. F1 has a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. With Red Bull and its ideologies not aligning anymore, Honda decided to quit F1 at the end of 2021, breaking its partnership with Red Bull. When F1 announced its 2026 regulation changes involving new engine specifications with more electrical power to become more sustainable, Honda saw it as an opportunity to jump right back into F1 and accelerate its development side by side. To the Japanese company, Aston Martin seemed like the right fit.

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As per F1.com, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said, “One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality, and it will become a platform which will facilitate the development of our electrification technologies.”

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll added, “We share a mutual drive, determination, and relentless ambition to succeed on track. Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is longstanding and incredibly impressive.”

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Who do you think will give Ayumu Iwasa a shot at F1 first? Red Bull or Aston Martin?

WATCH THIS STORY | How is Aston Martin Allying with Honda for its F1 Title Challenge from 2026?

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Written by:

Aditi is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports and is essentially a sportsperson. She fell in love with F1 in 2020. It happened when her brother tuned into that first race weekend in Austria, and she knew right then and there that she had to learn everything she could about the sport.

Edited by:

Aishwary Gaonkar

Red Bull Prodigy Highlights F1 Dream as Aston Martin’s Collab With Honda Renews Hope

Aston Martin could be Ayumu Iwasa’s fastest path into F1

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How did Aston Martin entice Honda to return to F1?