Former Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda may be on the verge of switching to the IndyCar series in 2027.That is based on a recent report in Motorsport.com that claimed that the Japanese driver may sign with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) to fill in a gap due to the departure of Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist at the end of the current season.

The fact that MSR is powered by Honda makes the possibility of Tsunoda, who has been backed by the Japanese manufacturer throughout his racing career, making the move quite realistic.

Tsunoda, currently a reserve driver for Red Bull Racing, has previously expressed his openness to give IndyCar a shot while insisting it all depended on the timing and how he felt about his future. He said: “If I have an opportunity and I feel it’s the right time, for sure I would love to.

“I like the US itself, so I don’t mind living here as well. But I feel like it’s not the time because I can’t imagine driving at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, more than a two-hour race, and we do more than 200 mph or whatever every lap.

“For me, it’s scary. I can’t imagine myself driving more than two hours and being in that car. I don’t know. For now, I am not really aiming or thinking about IndyCar, but yeah, why not in the future?”

Mike Shank, one of MSR’s owners, told Motorsport.com when asked about the Tsunoda reports: “We have not decided anything yet. We are talking to everybody in every form of motorsports that are comparable or pertinent to IndyCar.

“We’re still vetting folks that are coming along and looking at all kinds of options,” Shank maintained.

Should Tsunoda make the move across the Atlantic, he would not be the first Formula 1 driver to do so. Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean, and Mick Schumacher have done the same. Ericsson even won the 2022 Indianapolis 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Nigel Mansell, the 1992 Formula 1 Champion, raced in CART IndyCar in 1993 and won the title in his rookie season.

Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the Formula 1 Title in 1972 and 1974, also won the 1989 CART Title while being victorious in the Indianapolis 500 in 1989 and 1993.

Jacques Villeneuve won the 1995 Indy 500 and CART title before heading to Formula 1, where he went on to win the 1997 World Championship with Williams.

Juan Pablo Montoya won the 1999 CART Title while also winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 and 2015.

Tsunoda has driver IndyCar machinery during a Honda promotional event ahead of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.