Yuki Tsunoda is a Japanese racing driver who drives for the RB Formula 1 Team in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.
Date of Birth: | 11 May 2000 |
Birthplace: | Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan |
Height: | 1.59 m (5'3") |
First F1 Race: | 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix |
First F1 Win: | - |
2024 F1 Team: | RB |
F1 Championships: | 0 |
F1 Wins: | 0 |
Number: | 22 |
After starting his career and gaining experience in go-karts, Yuki Tsunoda made his debut in the single-seater F4 Japanese Championship for a one-off race with the Sutekina Racing Team. Claiming 2nd position in the first and 4th position in the second race.
In 2017, Tsunoda joined the F4 Japanese Championship, but this time for a full season with Honda. He ended up winning the regional title and finishing third in the national Formula 4 Championship. In 2018 Yuki Tsunoda came back to win the F4 Japanese Championship with seven wins during the season.
In 2019, Yuki Tsunoda joined Jenzer Motorsport to compete in the newly announced FIA Formula 3 Championship. Throughout the season, he achieved one phenomenal win at the Monza Circuit as well as two more podiums, scoring 67 points at the end of the season - scoring all the team’s points.
In 2020, Tsunoda became a part of the Carlin Formula 2 team alongside Jehan Daruvala. During a rollercoaster of a season, he managed to score three wins, seven podiums, and four pole positions, amassing 200 points at the end of the season and finishing third in the championship.
In 2021, Yuki Tsunoda joined AlphaTauri alongside more experienced Frenchman Pierre Gasly. Joining a mid-field team, Yuki Tsunoda did not have it easy; however, he finished his first season in AlphaTauri with 32 points in the driver's championship with a personal best result of 4th place in the last race of the season - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
A former Formula 1 Principal, Ross Brawn, said Yuki Tsunoda was "F1's best rookie for years". While the Japanese driver continued to improve throughout his next seasons in AlphaTauri, he is still waiting for his first F1 podium and victory.
The Japanese driver didn't change the team going into the 2024 season, but AlphaTarui underwent a significant rebrand, so the team is now called Visa Cash App RB, or simply "RB."