Yuki Tsunoda - Japanese F1 Racer With Short Fuse Gets His Big Chance

Yuki Tsunoda stands just 1.59 metres (5ft 3in) but the racer who has joined Formula One world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull is a strong personality who has tried to tame his temper to get his big chance. The 24-year-old will make his debut for Red Bull at his home Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka next weekend after the team ruthlessly axed underperforming Liam Lawson. Tsunoda was promoted Thursday from their junior team Racing Bulls (RB) after outshining the New Zealander in the first two race weekends of the season. 

He swapped places with Lawson, 23, who returned to the team he was at last season.

Tsunoda has had to wait patiently for this moment, having made his Formula One season debut in 2021 as a baby-faced rookie renowned for having a short fuse.

"His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational," RB team principal Laurent Mekies said after Tsunoda's promotion to Red Bull was finally confirmed after days of speculation.

Tsunoda was 12th in the season opener at Melbourne and only finished out of the points on Sunday at Shanghai because of RB's flawed two-stop pit strategy.

In contrast Lawson, who had replaced Sergio Perez at Red Bull, has endured a miserable start to the season and life at one of the top teams on the grid.

He was knocked out at the first stage of all three qualifying sessions and has yet to score a point.

Fast-tracked

Tsunoda started racing karts at the age of four in his native Kanagawa, just outside Tokyo.

He has been backed by Honda since joining their junior driver's programme and making his debut in Japan's Formula Four championship in 2016.

He had stints in Formula Three and Euroformula Open championships before joining British