Yuki Tsunoda advances to Formula One’s most controversial seat

Formula 1 is recognized as the pinnacle of racing. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, with household names like Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari competing on tours around the world at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour, and these vehicles keep pushing the limits of automotive engineering. It’s the dream of most racing drivers, even close to the sport, but only 20 seats are available and 2 cars per team is an elusive dream that usually requires more than just skills.

But even if the driver does reach this level, not all teams are equal. There are cost caps to prevent overspending, but even so, some teams can still use infrastructure and engineers to be much better in their own category. This difference means that in Formula 1, there are cars, and some cars can win the race. After years of opportunity, Japan’s own Yuki Tsunoda just got a long-awaited shot in the latter as he joined 2024 World Driver Champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing winner before the home game on the Japan Suzuka Tour on April 6.

Who is Yuki Tsunoda?

Tsunoda was born on May 11, 2000 in Kanachuan, and his father was originally introduced to the world of racing by his father who brought him to a tour of the neighborhood when he was four. A few years later in 2007, he participated in the Japanese Grand Prix and then held at the Fuji Racecourse. Since then, Tsunoda has become stronger and stronger in motorsports.

After entering the kart, Tsunoda won the Japanese Formula One Championship, an open wheel category designed for junior drivers, in 2018. The following year he moved to Europe and competed in Formula 1 before taking an impressive third place in the 2020 Formula 2 Championship. The effort caught the attention of Red Bull, who took a seat on the second Formula One team (then known as Scuderia Alpha Tauri) and made his debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2021.

Tsunoda, throughout the team, now known as the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, showed consistency on the track and ran multiple campaigns with the opportunity to step up and ride in Red Bull racing. Every time he is ignored. so far.

dispute

For beginners, moving a Formula One driver to another team may not sound unnewsome and in many cases, only mention in many cases. However, Red Bull’s second seat is probably the most controversial in recent history, mainly because historically, the driver has not lasted for a long time.

Max Verstappen has won four world titles since arriving at Red Bull Racing in 2016. Meanwhile, he has also experienced five teammates, including Daniel Ricciardo of Australia, Sergio Perez of Mexico and now Liam Lawson of New Zealand, who was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda before the Japanese Grand Prix. But why does this continue to happen?

As Verstappen’s other former teammate at Red Bull, Alex Albon, described the team’s way of configuring the car, a driving style that favors the current champions’ driving style, which makes the car a driving challenge. “I like a car with a good front end, it’s very sharp and very straightforward,” Albon explained. “Max does the same, but his keenness and directness are…it’s a completely different level. It’s dazzling.”

The difficulty of taming the Red Bull car made other drivers unaware of the success Verstappen achieved. As cars dial more and more, this reality ends up snowballing and seeing them get more and more behind every game. Despite this repetitive trend, as this is a car that can win races, drivers like Tsunoda will still seize the opportunity to prove themselves.

What does this mean for Yuki

In Formula 1, no one can guarantee the future, especially in Red Bull racing. In addition to building competitive cars, the team has a ruthless history with underperforming drivers. Lawson, who Tsunoda is replacing, was appointed to the team in early 2025, and after two boring performances, one in Australia and one in China, he has left. But that doesn’t mean Tsunoda can’t succeed.

The details are not clear, but Tsunoda is said to have performed well when he had a chance to drive the Red Bull car in the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi last year. Still, Lawson was selected as a seat, with Red Bulls principal Christian Horner saying the decision between the two drivers was “very, very close.” Today, things look very, very different.

So with the corner of Japan Formula One, he has been chasing Tsunoda in his seat for many years, the stage couldn’t be better for young racers from Kanagawa. From a little boy behind the wheels of a kart to the cockpit of one of the fastest cars in his home country, his career has been Hollywood stuff, no matter how it starts here.

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