Yuki Tsunoda will change Liam Lawson at Purple Bull for the Japanese Grand Prix subsequent week following poor performances from the New Zealand driver. Partnering Max Verstappen is a difficult job by itself, however the RB21 has been liable to unpredictable dealing with, which has proved tough for Lawson within the opening two rounds of the season. The second seat at Purple Bull has additionally been a tricky place for different F1 drivers, with the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo already falling sufferer to its so-called ‘curse’ over the previous decade.
Tsunoda, in his fifth yr of F1, has spent his total profession at Purple Bull’s junior workforce, and is lastly being afforded the chance to show himself alongside a four-time world champion. Right here’s all the things to find out about him.
The Japan native was born in 2000 and began competing within the JAF Junior Karting Championship at age 10. His profession rapidly took off after he graduated from Honda’s Suzuka Circuit Racing Faculty in 2016 and made his single-seater debut in Japanese Formulation 4. Lower than 5 years later, he would discover himself on the F1 grid.
When Tsunoda arrived in Europe in 2019, he didn’t converse English and had little or no data of the circuits on the F1 calendar. Nonetheless, he rapidly obtained up to the mark and impressed Purple Bull bosses with an exceptional Formulation 2 marketing campaign that noticed him end third within the championship, with three victories alongside the best way. With Honda’s backing, he secured a seat at Alpha Tauri (now Racing Bulls) in 2021.
As a rookie, he struggled with consistency, and his then-team-mate Gasly often out-performed him. The Frenchman typically certified within the high six and ended the season in ninth, whereas Tsunoda completed 14th within the championship. He improved the next yr however nonetheless lagged behind Gasly, because the workforce struggled all through the season with an uncompetitive automotive.
Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
Photograph by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
In 2023, Tsunoda persistently outperformed Nyck De Vries, each in qualifying and race tempo. The Dutch driver was unceremoniously axed after 10 races and changed by Ricciardo, whose tempo was pretty on-par with Tsunoda. The teenager proved himself with sturdy performances in opposition to the veteran Australian, who was as soon as believed to be world champion materials, till he was additionally dumped mid-season in 2024. Lawson, who stepped up from his reserve driver function when Ricciardo was dropped, rapidly impressed within the midfield automotive typically matching Tsunoda’s tempo.
When it got here time to interchange a flailing Sergio Perez, viewers had been satisfied that Tsunoda had earned the Purple Bull seat, not solely due to his enchancment over the earlier 4 seasons, however as a result of he and Lawson had been largely like-for-like. Nonetheless, the Kiwi was promoted forward of him, seeming to point that the power drinks firm sees Lawson as its future.
Tsunoda has since stepped right into a workforce chief function alongside 20-year-old rookie Isack Hadjar. It’s the primary time that the 24-year-old has been the clear primary driver on the Italian outfit, and Purple Bull higher-ups appear to have taken discover. Already, he is scored three factors this season, and sits thirteenth within the drivers’ standings going into Japan. So, information that he’d swap locations with Lawson at his dwelling race wasn’t all that shocking, given the workforce’s historical past of switching drivers and an obvious ‘curse’ positioned on the second Purple Bull seat after Ricciardo’s departure on the peak of his profession in 2018, looking for a brand new problem at Renault after it turned clear that the workforce was putting its future championship hopes on Verstappen. It’s been a revolving door of drivers ever since.
Gasly was promoted from Toro Rosso in 2019, however was demoted mid-season. Albon changed him however struggled with consistency and was nicely off Verstappen’s tempo. Perez, who joined in 2021, helped his team-mate safe his first world title, and received a handful of races. Nonetheless, the Mexican’s efficiency rapidly dropped off, and by 2024, he was considerably off the tempo. Solely time will inform if Tsunoda has what it takes to interrupt the curse.
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