Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda was born in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, and started his professional karting career in 2010 joining the JAF Junior Karting Championship, moving to the regional class in 2013 and to the national class in 2014.[4]

In 2016, Tsunoda graduated from Honda's Suzuka Circuit Racing School in the advanced formula class and became a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project.[5] 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 2nd in the first race, and finished 4th in the second race.

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.[6] Tsunoda won the title of the regional championship while finishing third in the national Formula 4 championship.[7] He contested both championships with Honda.[8]

Tsunoda continued to race in Japanese F4 in 2018 with the Honda Formula Dream Project team. Tsunoda claimed the title amassing seven wins.

Yuki Tsunoda at 2019 Macau Grand Prix.

With Honda tying up with Red Bull in Formula One, Tsunoda also joined the Red Bull junior team alongside the Honda programme.[3] At the end of 2018, Tsunoda was announced to join Jenzer Motorsport in the newly announced FIA Formula 3 Championship.[9] He finished 9th in the championship with three podiums and a win,[7] scoring all of the Jenzer team's points during the season.

Tsunoda also competed for Motopark in the Euroformula Open Championship, following the cancellation of Formula European Masters.[10] 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.[11][12][13]

In the beginning of 2020, Honda announced that Tsunoda will join Carlin to race in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.[14] During the 2020 season he took three wins, four pole positions, seven podiums and finished 3rd in the championship with 200 points.[15]

Tsunoda driving an AlphaTauri liveried STR14 at Imola

In August 2020, Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda Formula One team principal Franz Tost announced that Tsunoda would drive for the team in the end-of-season rookie test at Abu Dhabi in December 2020.[16] He had his first drive in a 2018-spec car at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy.[17] He again tested Formula One machinery at Imola in January 2021, but this time, he drove an AlphaTauri-liveried Toro Rosso STR14, Toro Rosso's 2019 car.[18]

He will replace Daniil Kvyat at the team for the 2021 season.[1] His car number is 22.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

^† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

^‡ Half points were awarded as less than 75% of the scheduled race distance was completed.