Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda (Japanese: 角田 裕毅, Hepburn: Tsunoda Yūki; pronounced [tsɯnoda jɯ̟ᵝːkʲi]; born 11 May 2000) is a Japanese racing driver who serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Tsunoda competed in Formula One from 2021 to 2025.

Born in Sagamihara and raised in Tokyo, Tsunoda began competitive kart racing aged nine. Supported by Honda since 2016 through the Honda Formula Dream Project, Tsunoda graduated to junior formulae the same year. He won his first full championship at the JAF Japan F4 East Series in 2017, winning the F4 Japanese Championship the next season. In 2019, he progressed to FIA Formula 3 with Jenzer and became a member of the Red Bull Junior Team, before finishing third in his rookie season of FIA Formula 2 in 2020 with Carlin.

Tsunoda debuted in Formula One for AlphaTauri in 2021, using a Honda powertrain alongside Pierre Gasly; he finished a career-best fourth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that year. Tsunoda retained his seat at AlphaTauri in 2022 and 2023, partnering Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo in the latter. He remained at the team for the 2024 season as they re-branded to Racing Bulls, before his promotion to senior team Red Bull for the Japanese Grand Prix onwards in 2025. Replaced by Isack Hadjar for 2026, Tsunoda became the reserve driver for both teams.

Tsunoda was born on 11 May 2000, in Sagamihara, Kanagawa. He attended LCA International Elementary School and Nihon University Third High School before transferring to Wako High School in April 2017. Tsunoda started his studies at the Faculty of Sport Management of Nippon Sport Science University in April 2019 but later took a leave of absence and eventually withdrew to concentrate on his racing career.

Tsunoda started his professional karting career in 2010, joining the JAF Junior Karting Championship, before moving to the regional class in 2013 and to the national class in 2014.

In 2016, Tsunoda graduated from Honda's Suzuka Circuit Racing School [ja] in the advanced formula class and became a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project. In the same year, he made his single-seater debut in the F4 Japanese Championship with the Sutekina Racing Team for a one-off event in Suzuka. He claimed his first podium with second in the first race and finished fourth in the second race.^{[citation needed]} In 2017, Tsunoda started his first full season of single-seater racing in the F4 Japanese Championship while also contesting in the regional East series of the JAF F4 Japanese Championship. At Okayama, he would win his first race. Tsunoda won the title of the regional championship while finishing third in the national Formula 4 championship. He contested both championships with Honda. Tsunoda continued to race in Japanese F4 in 2018 with the Honda Formula Dream Project team. Tsunoda amassed seven wins and claimed the title during the final race at Motegi, beating rival Teppei Natori by fourteen points.

With Honda tying up with Red Bull in Formula One, Tsunoda also joined the Red Bull junior team alongside the Honda programme. At the end of 2018, Tsunoda was announced to join Jenzer Motorsport in the newly announced FIA Formula 3 Championship. He scored tenth place and his first point during the first race in Barcelona, and ninth in Race 2. More points came in Paul Ricard where he came away seventh in Race 1, but struggled to ninth in Race 2 from second. Tsunoda failed to score points in Austria, but came back during Race 2 in Silverstone with seventh. He scored points in Budapest, with ninth and sixth place. In Spa-Francorchamps, he qualified in an astonishing third place. The Japanese racer dropped to sixth in Race 1, but from third in Race 2, scored a breakthrough second place. Monza was fruitful for Tsunoda, finishing fourth on the road but was promoted to the podium following a penalty for Marcus Armstrong. In Race 2, a storming start from sixth moved him to third at the start. After passing Fabio Scherer, he would go by Jake Hughes on lap 15 and claim his only F3 win of the year. He finished ninth in the championship with 67 points, including three podiums and a win, scoring all of the Jenzer team's points during the season. Tsunoda finished 11th at the non-championship Macau Grand Prix.

Tsunoda also competed for Motopark in the Euroformula Open Championship, following the cancellation of Formula European Masters. After a second-place finish in the first race at Paul Ricard and achieving third place in the Pau Grand Prix, Tsunoda claimed his maiden championship win in the second race at Hockenheim. In Spa-Francorchamps, Tsunoda was involved in a collision with teammate Liam Lawson during the second race, having scored second place in Race 1. He took a double podium during the Monza final round. Despite missing two rounds due to F3 commitments, Tsunoda placed fourth in the standings with 151 points, one win and five more podiums. Before the start of his 2020 season, Tsunoda partook in the 2020 Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition alongside Liam Lawson. Tsunoda scored one win throughout the campaign, during the second race at the opening round in Highlands Motorsport Park. He claimed two further podium finishes later in the season, landing him fourth place in the championship.