Yuki Tsunoda: Japan’s Man in Formula 1
Yuki Tsunoda: Japan’s Man in Formula 1
Honda’s academy produced him, Red Bull promoted him to its top team — and then, for 2026, set him aside. Tsunoda’s career is the story of Japan’s F1 hopes, and of how brutal the sport’s ladder can be.
Yuki Tsunoda is Japan’s leading Formula 1 driver, developed through Honda’s young-driver programme. He reached F1 in 2021 with the Red Bull-owned junior team (AlphaTauri, later RB), and in 2025 was promoted to the senior Red Bull Racing team — the first Japanese driver to get there. For 2026, however, he lost his race seat: Red Bull promoted Isack Hadjar alongside Max Verstappen, and Tsunoda stayed on as the team’s test and reserve driver. He remains in the Red Bull fold, with the door to a 2027 return left publicly open. ⚠ Driver seats change fast — confirm the current grid.
In this guide
1. Who Yuki Tsunoda is
2. From Honda’s academy to the grid
3. The Red Bull rollercoaster
4. Why he matters
1. Who Yuki Tsunoda is
The face of Japan in modern Formula 1.
Yuki Tsunoda is the most prominent Japanese driver in Formula 1, and for several seasons the only one on the grid. Fast, combative and famously outspoken on team radio, he carries the hopes of a country with deep motorsport roots but few recent F1 racers.1 ⚠ His role changes between seasons — check the latest.
2. From Honda’s academy to the grid
Tsunoda is a product of Honda’s young-driver development programme, which funded and steered his climb through the junior single-seater ranks in Europe. That backing — tied to Honda’s engine partnership with Red Bull — carried him into Formula 1 in 2021 with the junior team then known as AlphaTauri (later RB).1 He connects to a wider pipeline we cover in our guide to Japan’s next F1 drivers and to Honda’s role in F1.
3. The Red Bull rollercoaster
After several seasons at the junior team, Tsunoda earned a 2025 promotion to the senior Red Bull Racing team — a milestone no Japanese driver had reached. But the elevation didn’t last: for 2026, Red Bull chose Isack Hadjar as Verstappen’s team-mate and moved Tsunoda into a test and reserve role. Team principal Laurent Mekies has said publicly that Tsunoda “deserves another chance,” keeping a 2027 return in play.2 ⚠ This is the most volatile part of his story — verify his current seat.
4. Why he matters
- He’s Japan’s F1 standard-bearer. For years the country’s sole presence on the grid.
- He’s a Honda success story — and its limits. Proof the academy can reach F1, and how hard staying is.
- His next move is a national talking point. A 2027 comeback would resonate well beyond motorsport.
In five lines
- Yuki Tsunoda is Japan’s leading F1 driver, developed by Honda’s young-driver programme.
- He debuted in F1 in 2021 with the Red Bull junior team (AlphaTauri/RB).
- In 2025 he was promoted to the senior Red Bull Racing team — a first for a Japanese driver.
- For 2026 he lost the race seat to Isack Hadjar and became Red Bull’s test/reserve driver. ⚠
- A 2027 return has been left publicly open. ⚠ Confirm his current status.
The drivers carrying Japan’s flag
Explore Japan’s F1 story, its prospects and how to watch.
Sources & notes
- Yuki Tsunoda — Honda young-driver programme, 2021 F1 debut with AlphaTauri/RB. Formula1-Data
- 2025 promotion to Red Bull Racing; for 2026 replaced by Isack Hadjar and moved to test/reserve role; Mekies’ comments on a return. AUTOSPORT web; Shiga Sports
A driver profile dated 14 June 2026. F1 seats change frequently — flagged ⚠ items should be confirmed against official F1 / team sources.
📅 更新履歴
| 日付 | 変更内容 |
|---|---|
| 2026年6月14日 | 初回公開 |
✅ ファクト再検証
最終検証日：2026年6月14日
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