Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda has enjoyed a stunning rise to F1, where he will contest his debut season alongside Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri in 2021. 

The 20-year-old made his karting debut in in 2010 and quickly progressed up the regional and national class ranks, before graduating from Honda's Suzuka Circuit Racing School in 2016, becoming a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project. 

In the same year he made his single-seater debut in the F4 Japanese Championship, claiming his first podium with second place in his first race in the one-off event, and going on to take fourth in the second race. 

Tsunoda instantly made a name for himself when he moved into the series on a full-time basis in 2017, finishing third in the standings with three victories to his name. He followed that success up with a title charge the following year, amassing a total of seven wins and eight pole positions on his way to his first championship triumph. 

Having joined the Red Bull junior programme, Tsunoda made the switch to Europe and the new FIA Formula 3 championship with Jenzer Motorsport. After an initial slow start, the Japanese racer caught the attention of the paddock in the second half of his rookie season as he picked up a win and three podiums, finishing the campaign ninth. He also took a win in a 14-round Euroformula Open Championship season with Motopark, finishing fourth in the standings. 

Such was the impression Tsunoda made, Red Bull decided to fast-track him into Formula 2 after just a single year in F3. It was gamble that paid off, as Tsunoda starred with his electric pace and thrilling racecraft to score three wins en route to finishing third in the championship - a remarkable achievement in his rookie season in the highest tier of single-seater racing. 

Tsunoda was rewarded for his efforts in F2 with a series of test outings for AlphaTauri in F1 machinery, and in December 2020, it was announced that he would be graduating to F1, replacing Kvyat.