Biography of Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda began karting at the age of 10 in Japan and continued until he was 14 years old, competing in the Japanese National Class.

He moved onto cars in 2016 after graduating from Honda’s Suzuka Circuit Racing School and tasted success almost immediately claiming his first podium in his first ever weekend of racing. It was around this time that he also became a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project and would go on to win the Japanese F4 title in 2018 with seven wins.

Tsunoda moved to Europe in 2019, racing in the FIA Formula 3 championship for Jenzer Motorsport. With Honda now officially supplying engines to Red Bull, Tsunoda would also join the Red Bull Junior Team. Tsunoda would claim one win in the series and a further three podiums to finish ninth overall. He also contested the Euro Formula Open series finishing fourth overall with one win.

While this form is far from the level required of a Formula 1 driver, Tsunoda had a spectacular year in Formula 2 in 2020. He started the year competing in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand finishing fourth overall in the standings once again scoring one win and three podiums, however, his Formula 2 campaign is what would cement his driving credentials.

Racing for Carlin, his season yielded three wins, seven podiums, and four pole positions, en route to third overall in the championship in just his second year racing in Europe.

Though he would miss out on second in the championship by a single point, he gained the necessary Super License points, thus fulfilling the objective set out by Red Bull’s Helmut Marko at the start of the year. He was signed to race for the Alpha Tauri team in 2021 partnering Frenchman Pierre Gasly.

Yuki Tsunoda in Formula 1

Yuki Tsunoda will become the first Japanese driver since Kamui Kobayashi who competed in the sport in 2014.

Despite Japan’s rich motorsport heritage, a Japanese driver has never won a Grand Prix in Formula 1 with only three scoring podiums, namely, Aguri Suzuki in the Japanese Grand Prix in 1990, Takuma Sato in the 2004 United States Grand Prix, and Kamui Kobayashi in the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.