F1
Yuki Tsunoda embarks on the biggest challenge yet as he steps up to Red Bull Racing. From a rookie to team-mate of Max Verstappen - how did he get here, and can he handle the pressure?
In four seasons in F1, Yuki Tsunoda has progressed from a raw rookie to an experienced racer. He has gone through the ranks with Scuderia Toro Rosso, which has evolved into AlphaTauri and now Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. The team’s identity and confidence have grown with the 24-year-old, and both stand on the threshold of new eras. Tsunoda now steps away from his rookie days and joins Oracle Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes, UK. It’s a front-running team looking to Tsunoda to deliver a seventh F1 Constructors’ World Championship.
The man from Sagamihara will be sharing the garage with the four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen. While no one expects him to keep up with the sport’s leading driver, they will be looking to him to become a regular on the podium, scoring points in the Constructors’ and helping Verstappen to outrun his rivals. It’s the most difficult job in motorsport and one that has already proven too much for seven talented racers. Can he tame the Red Bull Racing RB21 and deliver? Let’s take a look at his journey to the front in F1.
Where did Yuki Tsunoda’s journey to F1 begin?
It’s a coincidence that Tsunoda’s journey with Red Bull Racing begins at Suzuka – but it couldn’t be more appropriate because his story is entwined with the legendary circuit in the Mie Prefecture. It was here that it all began 17 years ago in Suzuka when a seven-year-old Tsunoda came to the Japanese Grand Prix, and it was here that he learned his craft.
Tsunoda’s father took his son karting regularly from age four, and – having been bitten by the F1 bug –he was racing karts competitively from age nine. In 2016, 16-year-old Tsunoda was back in Suzuka to participate in a trial to win a place in F4 as a member of Honda’s driver development programme. The Honda Formula Dream Project would put him on the fast track to success in motorsport, but it wasn’t going to be easy. He was competing against older drivers from all over Japan and beyond, many with experience in F4 already. “I had no idea if I’d be able to make it,” he said.
Tsunoda arrived at the final trials in good shape. He’d put together some strong results across the season, including a podium when he made his debut as a wildcard in F4. “I know I’m capable,” he recalls. “If I can’t get a good result or if I can’t attract the judges’ attention, there’s no point continuing with racing. I’m not interested in joining other development programs or pursuing non-formula racing. If I’m not good enough to compete at the highest level, then I’d rather not continue.”
Disaster and a second chance
And that’s when it started to go wrong: Tsunoda’s nerves got the better of him. “My whole body tensed up. My fingers were frozen on the steering wheel.”
He made a false start and received a drive-through penalty. “I was so ashamed, so embarrassed, that I lost my will to race.” He finished third – but it wasn’t enough, and his dreams were in tatters. “I was so disappointed in myself I cried on the train home,” he recalls. “This was the first time I’d had such a setback. Even though I was the youngest, I was confident I’d win. I was in shock.”
Unknown to Tsunoda, he had impressed one of the judges: the great Satoru Nakajima, who recommended that he be given a place in the Suzuka Racing School. It wasn’t a fully supported race seat with the best machinery, but it meant he was able to race in F4. He soon proved his pace, and the rookie finished third in the 2017 championship. Elevated to the Honda Formula Dream Project, he won the title the following year.
The biggest change I made was on the mental front
Yuki moves to Europe with the Red Bull Junior Team
By any measure, Tsunoda’s rise was meteoric. In 2019, Tsunoda landed a seat with the Red Bull Junior Team, competing in the inaugural FIA Formula 3 with Jenzer Motorsport. He won the Feature Race at Monza that year and finished an impressive ninth overall. He was swiftly promoted to race in Formula 2 with Carlin Motorsport – the legendary team that brought a who’s who of drivers to F1, including Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris and George Russell to F1. The wins kept coming for the rookie, with victories at Silverstone, Spa and Bahrain. His rise was meteoric, and with third place in the championship wrapped up, he moved up to F1 and a place at Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Yuki Tsunoda makes his F1 debut
Arriving in F1 in 2021, Tsunoda was unstoppable, carrying all the momentum of a front-running driver in F2. On his debut, he was impeccable, lighting up the timing screens in his first qualifying session and scoring points with 10th place in Bahrain.
F1’s technical head, Ross Brawn – who had been integral to Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari team and later his own championship-winning Brawn GP team – was an instant fan. "I'm really impressed with Yuki Tsunoda," he said. “He’s quite amusing, and his language in the car can be a bit fruity. He showed some brilliant spells in the race, which is encouraging considering it was his first F1 race. He is the best rookie F1 has had for years."
The pressure cooker
Tsunoda formed a strong partnership with Pierre Gasly, learning from the likeable Frenchman, who became like a big brother. But Tsunoda struggled for consistency: he produced six top-10 finishes that were interspersed with many mistakes. When frustration spilt over, he gained a reputation for having a short temper. It wasn’t deserved: he was trying to develop in the heat of F1 racing. And while those famous outbursts over team radio didn’t help, they did establish him as a cult favourite with the fans.
He had his fans within the paddock, too, with team principal Franz Tost backing the young driver, saying he had the talent but had only raced a season in F3 and F2 before moving to F1. Having mentored Vettel and Ricciardo to the very top, Tost knew what he was talking about. Alex Albon – by now performing Test/Reserve driver duties and also racing in DTM in Europe – was recruited to help mentor Tsunoda, providing a steadying influence and gentle advice.
And while Albon, Gasly, Tost, Helmut Marko and Nakajima may have steered Tsunoda in the right direction, he had already learned to change his mental outlook all those years ago on his tearful journey home from Suzuka.
“The biggest change I made was on the mental front. Until I experienced that failed trial, I’d always had the attitude that ‘everything will work out in the end’. But even before I made a false start at the final trials, I knew my starts weren’t as good as they could be. I had time to practice my starts, but I didn’t. I was too easy on myself. Back then, I was also scared of making mistakes. I didn’t take risks, and I wasn’t sure how to improve.”
But he did improve, producing a career-best fourth place at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He would be back for another season.
Out of the fire and into the oven
Learning to race in new Formulas and with new teams is challenging enough, but it adds to adjusting to life in a new country. Tsunoda found himself spending his free time gaming and dialling UberEats. Never a fan of going to the gym, he needed a hobby, and the paddock’s favourite foodie turned his talent to the kitchen and became a skilled cook. He even says he wants to open a restaurant when he finishes in F1.
"I can reveal a little bit about that, but I can't say the full details because it's confidential," he says. "The restaurant would be Japanese based, and because in the F1 environment, I travel to a lot of countries, I can use that experience of each country's food and the good points from each country's cuisine that I want to combine with Japanese food.”
At the end of the season I felt mentally and physically exhausted. But I felt much happier because I’d given it all
Growing faster and smarter
While Gasly would score a great race victory before departing for Alpine, he left encouraging words for his young friend. “I’ve really enjoyed these last two years, seeing him evolve within the team,” said the Frenchman. “Only time will tell whether he has got what it takes to lead the team. For sure, he has improved massively this year. I would not be surprised to see him improving again next season. I think he knows what he needs to work on: a bit of self-control. He has got good people around him, and this environment is good for him to really develop as a better driver.”
Tsunoda knew he needed to step up and consistently deliver for the team. “It’s not easy to put 100 percent into every lap, and if I look back to 2022, some of the races, especially when the car wasn’t performing well, it put my mindset back slightly,” he admits. “I didn’t like that feeling. So in 2023, I tried to give 100 percent effort every time.
“It wasn’t easy – at the end of the season I felt mentally and physically exhausted. But I felt much happier because I’d given it all. It was more consistent.”
Taming a hot temper
While Tsunoda fought to produce a run of points in a packed midfield, the unwritten rule of being a successful F1 driver is to first beat your team-mate – and he certainly managed that, outqualifying and outracing first Nyck de Vries then Grand Prix-winner Ricciardo and finally Liam Lawson.
And although he was learning to master his emotions, the fires were still burning: at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, he was asked to move aside for Ricciardo. He saw red, swearing over team radio before driving dangerously close to the Australian. Immediately, the critics were on his back again, questioning his ability and temperament. Tsunoda responded in the best way – doing his talking on track.
“I never felt controlling my emotions was the key to my success. It was just my natural character,” Tsunoda says. “My mindset would be to take my stress out on the track and then focus afterwards. (But) you need to find a balance.
“I had to change my approach for the future, after what happened with Daniel in Bahrain last year. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sticking around in F1. It’s the one area I’ve worked really hard at – and it’s helped change my mindset and be more serious.”
A mature talent
In the following three races – Saudi Arabia, Australia and Japan – Tsunoda reached Q3 in qualifying and his racing was both committed and intelligent: a classic Red Bull driver. At Albert Park, he started P8 and finished seventh and back at Suzuka, where else, he became the first Japanese driver in a dozen years to score points in a home grand prix. “Flawless, a great performance under the pressure of his home race,” said a watching Helmut Marko.
“I love to prove some people wrong,” Tsunoda told British television. “My confidence level is good, and I think the preparation going into qualifying in how to create the best possible car is getting better and better,” he added.
Better was to come – while Max’s heroics at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix rank among the greatest drives in F1 history, it’s easy to overlook Tsunoda qualifying P3 in the rain and bringing his car back in seventh. He finished 12th in the Drivers’ Championship – a personal best. Racing Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies summed up his 2024 season, saying: “It was altogether an outstanding season from his side. I think he has made a step this season that nobody could forecast, and it’s something he should be proud of.”
How does Yuki Tsunoda compare to other Japanese drivers?
Tsunoda makes his Red Bull Racing debut at the Japanese Grand Prix – an event famed for its devoted fans who will be bursting with excitement as Tsunoda becomes the first Japanese driver to race for a front-running team. In terms of race starts, he will match Takuma Sato’s 90 starts in Japan and will surpass Ukyo Katayama’s record of 94 starts at Monaco. He’s already the record points scorer in F1 from Japan, and while no one expects him to do it here, any third place will see him match Aguri Suzuki, Takuma Sato and Kamui Kobayashi for the best finish. His best so far is currently fourth, and if he were to do it at Suzuka, he would be standing in the same spot as legends Aguri Suzuki in 1990 and Kamui Kobayashi in 2012.
The homecoming hero
Tsunoda arrives at Red Bull Racing on an impressive run of form, having qualified fifth for the Australian Grand Prix and taken sixth place in the Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. He’s ready for his Red Bull Racing debut at… Suzuka.
His boss at Racing Bulls, Laurent Mekies, is glowing in his praise: "We're incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing! His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational.
“Personally and collectively, it has been an immense privilege to witness those progresses for all of us in Faenza and in Milton Keynes. Yuki's energy and positivity have lightened up every corner of our factories and our garage, and he will always be a Racing Bull! We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR.”
Tsunoda himself is primed and ready to go: “My ultimate dream is to go down in history as a racing driver. I want to become a world champion, break the records of previous world champions and keep pushing my limits. I want to be remembered as a racer.”
His new boss, Christian Horner said: “There’s a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki's experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car. We welcome him to the Team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.” True to his word, in the short time between the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix, Yuki has been busy in the simulator and performing a show run for his fans in Tokyo ahead of his debut. Only time will tell if he can master the tricky RB21 but he’s already proved that he has the determination to evolve, improve and raise his game at every opportunity.
The appetisers are finished – Tsunoda’s ready for the main course.
