Tsunoda in the frame for IndyCar test with Meyer Shank

Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda is expected to take part in the October 26 evaluation test being held at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Japanese driver with deep ties to Honda is rumored to be part of Meyer Shank Racing’s test plans. Nearly half of the IndyCar teams are likely to bring drivers for evaluation purposes, or to make use of their talents to help develop R&D items for their cars.

Provided the 26-year-old is confirmed with the Chip Ganassi Racing-affiliated MSR team for Barber, it would mark Tsunoda’s second run in an IndyCar. He previously drive one in November of 2024 on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway road course as part of a special Formula 1, IMSA, and IndyCar crossover event staged by Honda.

"It's cool, it's a good car," Tsunoda told Road & Track at the time. "There is no tire blanket, the brakes are using a similar carbon material, but how the brake works is quite different. It just feels a bit more like karting, like a car that you can play around more. So, in that acceleration phase, I feel like I can slam the throttle aggressively more than Formula 1.

"F1 cars are controlled by electronic systems, but this car feels more direct. You have to still control the throttle activation phase, control the sliding rear. That feels quite nice, you can drift around a little bit... you can slide the car around. Straight away, I went full throttle, I was able to push a little bit more. It feels good... It feels like karting, driving in a formula car but at the same time you feel that direct karting feeling. You can attack the corner more. It's nice."

Tsunoda raced in F1 from 2021-2025, but lost his Red Bull seat at the end of last season and was recently deployed for three summer races with VCARB. With few options in F1 to pursue, Tsunoda has been looking to IndyCar as a possible destination for the future.

With Dale Coyne Racing serving as the only Honda-powered team with unfilled seats for 2027, there isn't much to offer Tsunoda in the short term. But an evaluation outing with MSR could be the first step for both sides to determine whether Tsunoda would be a good fit for 2028, when MSR runs Honda’s manufacturer charter entry.

RACER understands 2024 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Linus Lundqvist and current Japanese super Formula championship leader Kakunoshin Ohta are also being considered for the factory Honda seat in 2028.