On The Rise: Who Is Yuki Tsunoda?

Following his promotion to Alpha Tauri F1, Yuki Tsunoda is a name that we should all familiarise ourselves with before lights out in Melbourne.

The 20-year-old will be the youngest driver on the grid this year, but also the driver with the least junior experience. For Tsunoda, this is not a warning but it is a testament to his potential.

Born in Sagamihara, in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan, Tsunoda has spent only two years racing outside of his home country.

In 2017, he claimed a podium in his debut Japanese F4 race, alongside finishing third in the championship and a win in the Japanese Regional East F4.

On the back of this strong debut, the Japanese rising star completed his native racing experience with a dominant performance in the 2018 Japanese F4 Championship – claiming eight pole positions and seven race wins across fourteen rounds.

Eased into the Red Bull program by their Honda engine deal, moving to Europe proved to be of no challenge for the novice driver.

His sole F3 season contained three podiums and a win. Proving his versatility, Tsunoda bolstered those achievements with a win at Hockenheim as part of the 2019 Euroformula Open. With both of Carlin’s 2019 drivers leaving the team, Red Bull pounced on the chance – giving their man an F2 seat for 2020.

Carlin first entered F2 in 2018 and proved themselves a formidable outfit after winning the Constructors Championship with a pairing of Lando Norris and Sergio Sette Camara.

Tsunoda fit right in with the team, as he took home the Anthoine Hubert (Rookie of the Year) Award alongside seven podiums, three race wins, four pole positions and a fastest lap.

Compared to his teammate the 20-year-old put in a stunning performance, as he scored 200 points across the season to compared to Jehan Daruvala’s 72. This earned him another promotion, into the departing Daniil Kvyat’s Alpha Tauri.

From Tsunoda, we can expect the archetype of what Helmut Marco looks for in a driver. While he’s not the prodigious talent that Verstappen is – he’s had a more notable junior career than his new teammate, the redeemed Pierre Gasly.

More significant for Red Bull is that Tsunoda overtakes most of the time. His pole position at Spa, his win through attrition at Silverstone and his disciplined performance at Sakhir have proven that he will dive into the deep end and swim. For Dr Marco, Franz Tost, and most importantly us, this means that Yuki Tsunoda could be the driver to watch for 2021.

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