Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda is a Japanese Formula 1 driver currently racing for RB (formerly AlphaTauri), part of the extended Red Bull Racing ecosystem. Known for his emotional radio outbursts, compact driving style, and moments of surprising pace, Tsunoda has become a familiar — if inconsistent — presence in the midfield. He’s the latest and longest-lasting product of the Honda–Red Bull connection.

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Quick Facts

Full Name	Yuki Tsunoda
Born	11 May 2000, Sagamihara, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Team	RB (2021–present)
Car Number	22
F1 Debut	2021, Bahrain Grand Prix
Best Finish	4th (Abu Dhabi 2021)
Points Finishes	30+
Junior Highlight	3rd in FIA Formula 2 (2020)

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The Perpetual Underdog

Yuki Tsunoda has outlasted more teammates than you’d expect — and that’s part of his strange charm. Since arriving in F1 in 2021, he’s somehow dodged the axe that’s cut down Pierre Gasly, Nyck de Vries, and Liam Lawson. On paper, there’s little to suggest Tsunoda is a long-term Red Bull asset. He hasn’t been a race-winner, hasn’t been consistently in Q3, and hasn’t threatened to break out of the midfield gravity well.

And yet, here he still is.

There’s a simple reason: he’s just good enough when it matters — usually at the very end of the season. While teammates crash out, burn out, or get eaten by Helmut Marko’s rotation machine, Yuki stabilizes. Sometimes barely. But enough.

He’s not outstanding. He’s not the weakest. But he’s somewhere — and in the ever-chaotic orbit of Red Bull’s B-team, that liminal state might be his strongest asset. Especially when your passport says Japan and Honda still holds influence over your contract.

That said, the narrative is shifting. The Red Bull structure is tightening. Ricciardo struggles. Lawson waits. Honda is preparing to walk. And Yuki? He’s entering the most uncertain chapter of his career. Not because he’s gotten worse — but because the system around him has started demanding more than “just enough.”

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Career Timeline: From Honda Hopeful to F1 Mainstay

• Early Days in Japan
  
  • Started karting at age 10; quickly rose through national ranks.
    
  • Honda’s junior academy picked him up early — seen as their future F1 export.
    
• Move to Europe (2018–2020)
  
  • Supported by Honda and Red Bull in Formula 3 and Formula 2.
    
  • In 2020, finished 3rd in F2 with Carlin — showcasing strong racecraft, overtaking ability, and a sense of flair.
    
• F1 Debut with AlphaTauri (2021)
  
  • Debuted alongside Pierre Gasly.
    
  • Flashes of pace (notably in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi), but also plagued by crashes, penalties, and unfiltered radio rage.
    
  • Moved to Italy mid-season to be closer to the team and refocus.
    
• The Survival Era (2022–2023)
  
  • Gasly still the main reference, but Yuki improved in consistency.
    
  • Outlasted Nyck de Vries in 2023 despite mid-season chaos.
    
  • Began developing a reputation for being hard to judge: not great, not bad, just… there.
    
• RB & The Pressure Cooker (2024–2025)
  
  • Paired with Daniel Ricciardo, then briefly with Liam Lawson.
    
  • Showed signs of maturity and sharper race execution — but results weren’t standout.
    
  • Future now hangs in the balance as Red Bull reshuffles priorities and Honda plans its departure.