Yuki Tsunoda is a Japanese racing driver, currently racing in Formula One for AlphaTauri.
He has been backed by Honda since 2016 through their Honda Formula Dream Project, and in 2018, he clinched the title of Japanese F4 Champion. He has also received support from Red Bull Racing since 2019, and in 2020, Tsunoda secured third in the Formula 2 Championship, which led to his Formula One debut for AlphaTauri in 2021.
His first opportunity to drive a Formula One car was during a test session at Imola in November 2020, where he drove the Toro Rosso STR13. Tsunoda’s skills caught the team’s attention, and the following month, he participated in the end-of-season rookie test at the Yas Marina Circuit. During the winter break, he underwent further test sessions in the STR14 at Imola and Misano, honing his skills and gaining valuable experience.
After a successful test programme, Tsunoda earned a full-time drive for the 2021 season, where Tsunoda became AlphaTauri‘s newest driver, replacing Daniil Kvyat and joining forces with Pierre Gasly.
Tsunoda displayed impressive racecraft at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix season opener, qualifying in 13th place, even though he was second fastest during Q1. He secured ninth place in the race after overtaking Lance Stroll on the last lap. His impressive performance caught the attention of Ross Brawn, Formula One’s technical director, who dubbed him “F1’s best rookie for years.”
Although he originally raced with the number 11 during his karting days, the number was unavailable in F1, prompting him to double it and opt for the number 22.
For the 2024 season, while Tsunoda continued with the team, another rebranding took place at AlphaTauri, and the team became known as the Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team, often referred to by its acronym VCARB.
