F1 News: RB Confirms Yuki Tsunoda's Future With Huge Contract Announcement

Yuki Tsunoda's RB future is confirmed.

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; RB racing driver Yuki Tsunoda (22) addresses the media in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Visa Cash App RB (RB), the sister team of Red Bull Racing, has officially extended Yuki Tsunoda's contract, ensuring the driver remains on their roster until the end of 2025. This announcement came just before the qualifying round in Canada.

Yuki Tsunoda, who started his racing career in Europe back in 2019, rapidly rose through the motorsport ranks. His impressive performance in the 2020 Formula 2 championship, where he finished third, paved his way to Formula 1 with the Red Bull Junior Team. Linked with Honda, Tsunoda was quickly marked as a rising star, a status that hastened his entry into the Formula One paddock by 2021.

The Japanese driver's journey in Formula 1 has been marked by both challenges and significant growth. While he displayed formidable speed right from the outset, his first seasons required him to refine his racecraft. In these early years, he shared a competitive drive with teammate Pierre Gasly, and by the end of 2022, their performances had notably converged—a testament to Tsunoda's rapid development and adaptability on the track.

Following Gasly's move away from the team, Tsunoda evolved into a lead driver for Visa Cash App RB. Over the past two years, he has consistently outperformed formidable teammates including Nyck de Vries, Liam Lawson, and Daniel Ricciardo, firmly establishing himself as a reliable and promising figure in the cockpit.

Tsunoda commented on the contract extension:

“I’m very happy to be staying with Visa Cash App RB and it’s a good feeling to have my future decided so early in the year.  For that, I want to thank everyone at Red Bull and Honda who have played such an important role in my career and will continue to do so. The team has a big development project ahead and I’m excited to be part of it. It’s great to know that everyone appreciates all the hard work I have put in and that the team believes I can help it move further up the grid. We have already made clear progress this season and that really motivates me to always give of my best and that’s what I’ll continue to do with VCARB. For the moment, I’m concentrating on the remaining races this season, with the aim of bringing home as many points as possible, always growing with the team, laying the groundwork to do even better next year!”

Team principal Laurent Mekies also commented:

“I watched Yuki’s progress in Formula 1 with interest even before I returned to Faenza and it’s been impressive, year after year. The step up he has made this year is simply phenomenal, and he keeps surprising us all, race after race. There’s no doubting his natural speed to which he has now added a much more mature approach and this combination makes him a very quick and consistent performer, and a great team player. We continue to get a better understanding of what he needs from us and vice versa, so we are progressing together, Yuki as a driver and the team, as Visa Cash App RB. We share the same ambitions, so there are several good reasons to continue our journey together. He still has a lot to give!”