Yuki Tsunoda - Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 Driver
Yuki Tsunoda Career Overview and Fast Links
Career Overview
2021 AlphaTauri F1 Team Launch
Pre-F1 Career
F1 AlphaTauri (2021)
Fast Facts
2021 AlphaTauri F1 Team Launch
Yuki Tsunoda F1 Career Overview
Yuki Tsunoda is one of three rookies making their F1 debut this season starting with Scuderia AlphaTauri in the 2021 F1 World Championship.
In what has been a rapid rise through the ranks for the Japanese racer, Tsunoda is set to become driver from his nation since 2014 to compete in the top flight when Kamui Kobayashi raced with Caterham.
He will also become the first member of the Honda Formula Dream Project driver development programme to race in F1, in what will be the final season for Honda to compete in F1 as an engine supplier.
As well as becoming one of the youngest drivers to start an F1 race (20 years, 10 months and 17 days), he is also the first person born in the 21st century to do so.
Yuki Tsunoda Net Worth 2021: $1-5 million approx (source)
Yuki Tsunoda Driver Salary 2021: $500,000 approx (source)
* third-party source
Yuki Tsunoda - Route to F1
Tsunoda makes his F1 debut with AlphaTauri - Red Bull’s so-called ‘B Team’ - after only two seasons of competing on European soil, in so doing becoming the 15th driver to reach the pinnacle of the sport via the Red Bull Junior Team.
Beginning his career on the Japanese domestic scene, Tsunoda sailed through the JAF Junior Karting Championship ranks prior to making his ‘winged’ car racing debut in the Japanese Formula 4 Championship in 2016 with backing from Honda, who initiated him into its feeder ‘Dream Project’ development programme.
F3
Going on to take the title in 2018 for ‘Honda’ with seven wins from 14 races, Tsunoda was invited to Europe to compete on the F1-supporting FIA Formula 3 Championship with Swiss-outfit Jenzer Motorsport in 2019.
With Honda’s new association with Red Bull in F1 enabling Tsunoda to be incorporated into the outfit’s Junior Team too, brandishing the distinctive colours of the Austrian company, he shrugged off a slow start to emerge as a front-runner towards the conclusion of the year, picking up three podiums, including a maiden win at Monza, en route to ninth overall.
He also took in rounds of the pan-European Euroformula Open Championship with Motopark driving the more traditional two-litre Dallara car. He scored a win at Hockenheim and six podiums, finishing fourth overall despite missing two events.
F2
Ending the year ninth overall, Tsunoda was promoted to the FIA Formula 2 Championship for 2020 with Carlin and emerged as a surprise title contender in his rookie campaign, landing a podium in only his third start before claiming a victory at Silverstone. He followed it up with two more wins at Spa and in the season-ending Bahrain race.
Coupled with three other podiums and strong finishes elsewhere, Tsunoda beat a number of highly-rated fellow rookies - including F3 Champion Robert Shwartzman - to clinch third in the standings. Ending up only 15 points shy of title-winner Mick Schumacher, Tsunoda also achieved four pole positions - more than any other driver - and came close to a rare double victory in the last round of the season after recovering to finish second from eighth on the grid.
With Tsunoda counting Max Verstappen as a fan, the youngster’s form would catch the eye of Red Bull and with Honda eager for one of its development drivers to break through despite its impending exit from F1 - after Nobuharu Matsushita and Nikei Fukuzuma failed to impress in previous years - started being primed for a promotion by mid-season.
Needing to finish top three overall to secure the Superlicence points required to compete in F1, with Red Bull settin this target to ensure his route to F1, Tsunoda was subsequently confirmed to be joining AlphaTauri for the 2021 F1 season.
Yuki Tsunoda will race with Scuderia AlphaTauri in the 2021 F1 World Championship
Tsunoda becomes the first driver from Japan since 2014 to compete in F1, driving the Honda-powered AlphaTauri alongside esteemed race-winning team-mate Pierre Gasly after replacing Daniil Kvyat.
He will be one of three F2 graduates competing in F1 this year alongside Haas pairing Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, but unlike his counterparts will have a race-winning car at his disposal.
Yuki Tsunoda Fast Facts
Yuki Tsunoda made his first appearance in F1 machinery in a 2018-spec Toro Rosso STR14 in 2020 at Imola before making his current-spec debut in the post-season at the post-Abu Dhabi GP rookie test in December 2020
He will compete with No.22, previously used by 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button
As the highest-placed rookie in the 2020 F2 Championship, Tsunoda was awarded the Anthoine Hubert Award
He is the already the ninth driver to be promoted from F2 (which was rebranded from GP2 in 2017) and the second by Red Bull/AlphaTauri after Alex Albon
