Yuki Tsunoda will race for Red Bull Racing in Formula One, starting with Japanese Grand Prix, beginning on April 4 and ending on April 6. The team announced the move back in March after replacing Liam Lawson in a midseason driver change.
Tsunoda, 24, from Kanagawa, Japan, joins Max Verstappen as Red Bull pushes to defend its drivers’ championship and reclaim the constructors’ title. Lawson struggled in the first two rounds, with a crash in Australia and a last-place qualifying result in China.
“Yuki shows maturity, consistency and pace every time he gets in the car,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said in a team statement. “He knows how to develop the car and compete at the highest level. We believe he brings the reliability and feedback we need to stay ahead.”
Tsunoda started his Formula 1 career in 2021 with AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s junior team. He rose quickly through the ranks with strong results in Formula 2 and support from Honda’s development program. He earned praise in 2023 for consistently finishing in the points and outperforming his teammates.
“Racing for Red Bull at Suzuka means everything to me,” Tsunoda said in an interview with Sky Sports F1. “I grew up dreaming about this. I worked hard to get here. The pressure is real, but I feel ready to show what I can do.”
Red Bull made its last midseason switch in 2019. Tsunoda becomes Verstappen’s sixth teammate in ten seasons; others include Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez.
Verstappen expressed frustration over the decision to bring Tsunoda and said Red Bull did not consult him about it.
“I made my feelings known internally,” Verstappen told The Guardian during Thursday’s press interviews. “The team should focus on performance, not politics.”
The Japanese Grand Prix marks Red Bull’s final home race with Honda power before switching to Ford in 2026. The moment holds special meaning for Tsunoda, who rose through Honda’s ranks and built a strong following in Japan.
“This is bigger than me,” Tsunoda told Sky Sports F1. “I get to represent my country and Honda in front of my home crowd. I want to show that Japanese drivers can compete at the top.”
Tsunoda scored points in his debut race in Bahrain in 2021. His first few seasons came with growing pains, but he gained consistency and control. He now becomes the first Japanese driver to join Red Bull’s main team and only the third to drive for a top-tier constructor since Takuma Sato raced for BAR Honda in the early 2000s.
The Japanese Grand Prix starts Sunday at the Suzuka International Circuit
