Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda seemed to come from nowhere in the second half of the 2019 Formula 3 season, but his progress had been a long time in the making.

Highly rated by Red Bull and Honda, as part of their academies, the Japanese racer only moved to Europe ahead of his debut in 2019, with no knowledge of the circuits, but proved himself to be a quick learner.

After taking just two points’ finishes from the opening seven races, Tsunoda scored in the each of the next seven. This included a run of three podiums in a row between Spa and Monza, with second place, third place and victory in the Italian Sprint Race.

The Carlin racer translated this form into F2, where he exceeded expectations to finish as the highest rookie in third, with three wins, seven podiums and four poles. This earned him a spot on the Formula 1 grid with Alpha Tauri for 2021.

An up and down debut season ended with the renewal of his contract at Alpha Tauri, where he is being afforded the time and space to adapt.