Visa Cash App RB exercised the option in the contract Yuki Tsunoda renewing Japanese for another season of Formula 1. The 24-year-old from Sagamihara made his debut in 2021 with the then Scuderia AlphaTauri, completing great maturation in the last year and a half. In his debut year, the Japanese tightrope walker was criticized several times for his excessive impetuosity in his maneuvers on the track and for behavior that was not always appropriate towards the team, particularly over the radio. Having moved to Faenza under the watchful eye of the then team boss Franz Tost and to the city where the former Minardi team factory is located, Tsunoda progressively improved until he became a driver with constant results and an increasingly competitive and reliable driver. Despite the ‘difficult’ adaptation to the top series, Yuki immediately demonstrated flashes of great technical quality, scoring points in his debut GP in Bahrain or placing 4th in the Abu Dhabi GP.
“I am very happy to remain with Visa Cash App RB and it is a great feeling to have decided my future well in advance of the end of the season” – commented Tsunoda with great satisfaction, while he is busy in the 2024 Canadian GP in Montreal – “ I thank all the employees of Red Bull and Honda who have played a very important role in my career and will continue to do so. The team has a big development project ahead of them and I’m excited to be part of it. It’s nice to know that everyone appreciates the hard work I’ve put in and that the team believes I can help them move up the grid. We have already made clear progress this season and this motivates me to always give my best and that is what I will continue to do with the VCARB01.”
Tsunoda confirmed that he will currently focus on the remaining races of the season, with the aim of bringing home as many points as possible and laying the foundations for the 2025 Formula 1 season. It remains to be seen who will be the teammate of Japanese in the Faenza team.
